The Sea Life Oberhausen aquarium's spokeswoman Tanja Munzig told AP Television News Monday that the intuitive invertebrate will "go into retirement and do what he likes to do best: play with his handlers and delight children who come visit to him."
Paul won worldwide attention as he called all of Germany's games right — including its semifinal defeat by Spain. He crowned his career by forecasting correctly that Spain would beat Holland in Sunday's final.
Meanwhile, it's Paolo, not Paul. Italian media claimed as their own the octopus after his trainer in Germany on Sunday revealed he was caught in Italian waters.
"The octopus' name is Paolo," wrote sports newspaper Tuttosport on its website.
The news is "a small satisfaction for Italy at the end of a tournament that has given the Azzurri very little joy," wrote daily Il Corriere della Sera on its website.
Verena Bartsch, the octopus' trainer on Sunday told the Sunday edition of Germany's Bild tabloid newspaper that she caught him in April in the sea off the Italian island of Elba, near Tuscany. He was four weeks old at the time.
