Kiev: Poland and Russia will dominate the opening day of matches at Euro 2012, a Ukrainian pig named Funtik, billed as the tournament’s fortune-telling expert, indicated on Friday.
Funtik the Soothsayer Hog picked bowls of food bearing the Russian and Polish flags outside his hut in the Kiev fan zone, rejecting those with the flags of Poland’s opponent Greece and Russia’s opponent, the Czech Republic.
“The prediction today is victory for Poland and victory for Russia,” said Sergei Bryl, head of the Kiev fan zone.
However, a ferret named Fred, with a similar fortune-telling position in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov, after arriving at the Kharkov fan zone in a limousine, on Friday rejected both bowls of food for both games, thus signifying two draws.
The pig has some support from Polish elephant Citta, who predicted a Polish win when offered a choice of melons at the Krakow Zoo Wednesday. She did not make a prediction for the Russia-Czech fixture.
Citta, a 33-year old female, is one of a veritable menagerie of animals trying to inherit the mystic mantle of Paul the Octopus, who shot to fame with his eerily accurate predictions of games at the 2010 World Cup.
IANS
