Chinese football fan dies after 11 sleepless nights

A Chinese football fan has died of exhaustion after going 11 straight nights without sleep, watching every single game of the on-going Euro 2012 championship.

Jiang Xiaoshan,26, passed away, Tuesday morning.

He was said to be a fervent supporter of both the French and English team at the tournament.


Due to time difference, the late Jiang reportedly stayed up each night to watch the match with friends and then went to work the following day.

Following the Ireland versus Italy match, Sina.com reported that he went back to his Changsha home at 5am on Tuesday, had a shower, fell asleep and never woke up.

Friends said the news of his death came as a shock, as he lived a ‘relatively healthy life’, and had played football for his university team just a couple of years before.

Sources said, however, that the effect of alcohol and tobacco, combined with the chronic exhaustion, was to blame for his death as it weakened his immune system.

This is not the first time Chinese football fan have suffered from trying to keep up with their on-pitch heroes.