🔗 Share this article

Ask any United devotee from an earlier generation regarding the significance of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the night changed them forever. It was the moment when dramatic late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an incredible late turnaround in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. It was also, the life of one United fan in Bulgaria, who recently died at the 62 years old, took a new direction.

Aspirations Under Communism

That supporter was given the name Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a tight-knit community. Being raised in the former Eastern Bloc with a passion for football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. Yet, to take the name of a sports team from the Western world was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have faced imprisonment.

A Commitment Sealed by Fate

Ten years after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's unique aspiration moved nearer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would do anything to change his name that of the object of his devotion. Then, the impossible happened.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

Years of Judicial Challenges

The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had gained his fandom, was no longer alive, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the talk of the town, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

The application was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was prohibited from using United as his family name. “Yet my aim is to be named after a city in the UK, I want to bear the identity of my favourite football club,” Marin told the court. His fight went on.

Companions in Adversity

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Advances and Ethics

He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an recognized alias on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my complete identity is the club's title,” he declared. His tale attracted commercial propositions – a proposal to have club products produced under his new name – but despite his financial struggles, he turned down the offer because he was unwilling to gain financially from his adored institution. The Manchester United name was beyond commercial use.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

A documentary followed in 2011. The production team turned Marin’s dream of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see his compatriot, the Bulgaria striker then at the club at the time.

He inked the club badge on his forehead three years later as a protest against the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became ever tougher for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.

On a recent Monday, his heart stopped beating. It is possible that Manchester United’s persistent fan could finally find peace.