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It`s Paolo, not Paul. Italian media claimed as their own the "psychic" octopus who accurately predicts World Cup results 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 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.

Bartsch`s version conflicts with Paul`s official biography, according to which the octopus is two years old and came from Weymouth, England, before moving to an aquarium in western Germany.

Paul has accurately predicted seven out of seven games from his aquarium home, where he is given two boxes, each containing a mussel and the flag of the two competing World Cup teams.

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