🔗 Share this article

Pose the question to any Manchester United fan from an earlier generation regarding the meaning of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the occasion was life-altering. It was the evening when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an unbelievable 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the existence of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who has died at the 62 years old, was transformed.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

That supporter was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a population of 22,000. Living in the former Eastern Bloc with a devotion to football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… the Red Devils. But, to take the name of a football club from the capitalist west was mission impossible. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would likely have faced imprisonment.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's unique aspiration edged closer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his humble abode 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 team he adored. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

The Long Legal Battle

The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had gained his fandom, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was residing with his mom, taking on various types of work, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He soon became the local celebrity, then was featured globally, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

Marin’s wish was denied early on for intellectual property issues: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate granted a limited approval, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was could not adopt the second part as his official surname. “However, I desire to be identified with an urban area in Britain, I want to bear the identity of my beloved team,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.

Companions in Adversity

When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had many animals in his back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He named them all after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? One named after David Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Breakthroughs and Principles

Another victory was secured in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an official nickname on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I won’t stop until my full name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His tale attracted business offers – an offer to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he declined the proposal because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The club's identity was sacred to him.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

His story was captured in that year. The crew turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered his compatriot, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

He inked the team emblem on his brow at a later date as a protest against the court decisions and in his last few years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he suffered the death of his mother to the virus. But he managed to continue. Originally of Catholic faith, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he often stated.

On a recent Monday, his life came to an end. Perhaps now the club's persistent fan could at last be at rest.