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Pose the question to any Manchester United devotee from an earlier generation concerning the meaning of May 26th, 1999, and they will tell you that the date left an indelible mark. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an unbelievable 2-1 comeback in the showpiece event against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the world of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who recently died at the 62 years old, changed forever.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

The fan in question was born Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a tight-knit community. Living in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he aspired to legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was mission impossible. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's idiosyncratic dream came one step closer to reality. Watching the final from his humble abode in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would go to any lengths to become known as that of the object of his devotion. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

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 36-year-old was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on £15 a day. He was barely getting by, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of court cases and discouraging rulings lay ahead.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

Marin’s wish was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in the UK, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin stated during proceedings. His fight went on.

Companions in Adversity

When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the his team. He gave each one a name after club legends: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? One named after David Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Advances and Ethics

Another victory was secured in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an official nickname on his identification document. But still he wasn’t happy. “My efforts will persist until my full name is as I desire,” he declared. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a chance to have supporters' goods made using his identity – but despite his financial struggles, he declined the proposal because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The team's title was inviolable.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

His story was captured in 2011. The crew fulfilled his wish of visiting Old Trafford and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the United crest on his forehead three years later as a demonstration against the court decisions and in his closing chapter it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he used to say.

On a recent Monday, his time ran out. It is possible that the club's restless soul could at last be at rest.