England tightened its tentacles on the 2018 World Cup as Octopus Paul was announced as ambassador to their bid.
Paul of course gained notoriety in the recently concluded World Cup for predicting all of Germany's matches correctly including the win against England. In the final he picked Spain over Netherlands which conferred upon him honorary citizenship of that country.
The Oracle of Oberhausen has now switched his allegiance to the country of his birth. Weymouth born and raised (although there are murmurs he could be a pasta loving Italian), the switch is seen as natural.
"Paul has spent the last two years of his life in Germany, but he is definitely a proud Englishman," Weymouth Sea Life Center manager Nicola Hamilton said. "We have had a number of football approaches from around the world, but Paul was only ever going to choose his homeland."
The hiring of the most famous cephalopod in history as England's public face can only be good publicity.
"Paul the Octopus is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in football," former England winger John Barnes said. "Huge numbers of people will follow Paul's lead and back the bid."
Now which country is going to hire Mani the Parakeet, Lorenzo the parrot or even Dirty Harry, the saltwater crocodile?
As humans we have failed to bring peace to the ME. Lets give a host of animal ambassadors a chance. They can do no worse.
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