A group of Everton fans out in Qatar for the World Cup spent an evening at 'a palace' - in the company of lions, monkeys and exotic birds.
In a talkSPORT interview ( watch below ), two Blues opened up on the story of their unusual night that began with a 'hunt for some beers'. The pair of supporters could be seen wearing special shirts with both the England and Everton logos on.
Speaking about the start of their trip to Qatar, the first said: "We've just been having a good time, having a mooch, getting our bearings right. The set-up is spot on. We've been enjoying ourselves."
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The second man added: "Last night we met one of the Sheikh's sons. He took us back to the palace and showed us - he had lions and everything. They've made us so welcome. Look around you, it doesn't get any better than this."
And the first fan chipped back in to explain further: "We were on a hunt for some beers. We jumped into the back of his Toyota Land Cruiser, ended up in a big palace. We were in the back. He showed us his monkeys, his exotic birds. It was nuts."
Initial reaction to the claims was skeptical, with many people replying to the video shared on Twitter to cast doubt on the Scouser duo's version of events.
But other clips have since emerged, appearing to show the men arriving at an opulent location - with one of them seemingly playing with a lion cub.
After seeing that footage, one person commented online: "Genuinely thought this was b******t until I saw the videos in the thread. Hats off to them."
Someone else posted: "Up the lion cub taming toffees", while a third commenter said: "Roaring at those Everton lads that somehow got invited to a Palace and were cuddling lions, whilst on a hunt for beers in Qatar. You could not write it."
The World Cup in Qatar got underway today, after a build-up which has been mired in controversy due to the deaths of numerous migrant workers and troubling concerns around treatment of LGBTQ+ people.
Qatar were defeated 2-0 by Ecuador in the opening game with the goals coming from former Everton loanee Enner Valencia. England are in action tomorrow, in a 1pm kick off UK time against Iran.
Earlier this week, FIFA announced the decision for no alcohol to be served at any of the eight stadiums hosting World Cup games. This was a significant change from the original position. Those watching on from corporate areas of grounds at the tournament will still be able to buy alcohol.
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