🔗 Share this article

Pose the question to any Manchester United supporter who is older regarding the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion left an indelible mark. It was the night when dramatic late goals from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an unbelievable late turnaround in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the life of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who recently died at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Aspirations Under Communism

That supporter was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a place with a tight-knit community. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he dreamed of adopting a new name to… the Red Devils. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. Had Marin tried to do so during the socialist era, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal came one step closer to reality. Viewing the match from his simple residence in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin vowed to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to change his name that of the club he loved. Then, a miracle occurred.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

A Protracted Court Struggle

The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had gained his fandom, was long gone, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, taking on various types of work, including as a laborer on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

The application was turned down at first for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his legal last name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in the UK, I want to wear the name of my beloved team,” Marin stated during proceedings. His fight went on.

A Life with Feline Friends

During breaks from litigation, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had a large number in his outdoor space in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He christened them after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Breakthroughs and Principles

Another victory was secured in court: he was granted the right to append United as an official nickname on his ID card. But still he wasn’t happy. “I will continue until my entire name is Manchester United,” he promised. His tale attracted business offers – a chance to have supporters' goods made using his identity – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A film was made in 2011. The production team turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even met the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

Marin tattooed the club badge on his face subsequently as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But somehow, he found a way. By birth a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he would frequently remark.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. Perhaps now the club's persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.