PAUL the Octopus – the unlikely hero of the 2010 World Cup has died. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday night in his aquarium at his base in Oberhausen, Germany. Paul put football pundits around the world to shame by correctly predicting a string of key football results at the finals, which turned him into an overnight sensation. His death won’t come as a great surprise to some, as he was two and a half years old, which is the traditional expectancy for an octopus. Staff at the Sea Life centre in Oberhausen are said to be “devastated” at his tragic passing away.
In the summer, Paul made his name by successfully choosing a mussel from one of two boxes that were bearing the flag colours of the competing nations in the latter stages of the tournament in South Africa. In total, he correctly predicted seven games correctly, including Germany’s semi-final defeat to Spain and the Spanish victory over Holland in the final. Although passionate German football fans called for him to be grossly killed, he was loved across the rest of the world. In fact, he was so popular in Madrid after the Spanish success; there had been a request for him to end up in a Spanish museum. Amid all the excitement, Paul replaced the disgraced ex-ITV pundit Robbie Earle as an ambassador for the England 2018 World Cup bid.
After the finals, he was retired from football punditry, quashing the rumours and hope that he might make a shock guest appearance on Match of the Day! A memorial at the aquarium in Germany is to be erected in his memory. His life may have been brief, but it was incredible and he will not be forgotten.
R.I.P Paul – You were the star of the World Cup 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment