A man has been charged with murder after a football fan strangled hours after watching the Champions League Final died in the hospital in which he worked.

Przemyslaw Lepkowski of Thornton Avenue, Croydon, was found at an address in Eastbourne Road, Tooting, at about 1.04am on Sunday, May 20.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the 24-year-old Polish man at the scene and on the way to St George’s Hospital, Tooting.

Mr Lepkowski, who worked in the hospital's domestic department, spent two days in intensive care, but died of his injuries on Monday evening.

A post-mortem concluded he had been strangled.

Mr Lepkowski’s father Wojciech, who also works at the hospital, said a colleague phoned to tell him Przemyslaw was in Accident and Emergency.

He said: "A friend called me at about 2am, he asked me to check whether my son was in or not. I checked his room and said 'no,' he was going with friends to watch the Chelsea and Bayern Munich game. He said 'your son is inside A&E,' I took a car and went straight away."

Przemyslaw's mother Jolanta was in Poland at the time of the incident, but flew back to be at her son's bedside before his life support machine was turned off.

She said: "Doctors said his brain completely stopped working."

Mr and Mrs Lepkowski said Przemyslaw was friendly and popular.

"When he was in intensive care, lots of friends were coming to see him and say goodbye," said Mrs Lepkowski.

"Three days ago my son called me in Poland and said "Mum I dreamt of my wedding," but it is no good now. I try and try to sleep but I can't."

Mr Lepkowski said his son loved football and played with colleagues every Saturday in Mitcham.

He added: "I know every father says 'My son is the best,' but trust me he is the best. He was a very hard worker.”

* Daniel Janik, 29, of Eastbourne Road, Tooting, has been charged with murder and will appear at South Western Magistrates' Court today.