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Chinese man dies after staying up for eleven days straight watching Euro 2012

The fan passed away after Italy's 2-0 victory over Ireland (AP)
The fan passed away after Italy's 2-0 victory over Ireland (AP)

Watching every minute of a major soccer tournament is a highly desirable concept for a fan, but forgetting to punctuate the sporting drama with sleep can have lethal consequences.

According to reports from the Hunan province of China, a fan named Jiang Xiaoshan has been found dead after substituting his nightly rest for an 11-day Euro 2012 viewing marathon. The games have been kicking off at 2:45 a.m. local time, so Mr. Jiang would watch the action until daybreak and then go to work all day. Unfortunately, The Telegraph reports that his Keith Richards-style all-nighters ended in tragedy:

[...] the 26-year-old was found dead by his mother after his 11-day football-watching marathon, finally expiring after Ireland's 2-0 defeat to Italy on June 18.

"We would rest occasionally but he watched everyday and would not miss a single match," one friend told the Sanxiang Metropolis.

The fan was said to be in good health, but his immune system was weakened by sleep deprivation and his habit of smoking and drinking during the games. When commenting on the matter, Hunan province doctor Liu Zhiling gave insight that can only come from years of medical training:

"If you use beer to replace water that is not good."

Mr. Jiang watched over 1,890 minutes of action and saw 51 goals. He was said to be supporting England and France in the tournament.