🔗 Share this article

Pose the question to any Manchester United supporter of a certain age about the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the date changed them forever. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an incredible come-from-behind victory in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the existence of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, was transformed.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

That supporter was originally called Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a population of 22,000. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he dreamed of legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to take the name of a football club from the other side of the Iron Curtain was mission impossible. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would likely have faced imprisonment.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

Ten years after the political changes in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream edged closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin made a promise to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the team he adored. Then, a miracle occurred.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

Years of Judicial Challenges

The next day, Marin sought legal counsel to present his unique case, thus beginning a long, hard battle. His dad, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was struggling financially, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He soon became the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of judicial disputes and disheartening court decisions lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

The application was rejected initially for copyright reasons: he was barred from using the title of a world-famous brand. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was could not adopt the second part as his family name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in Britain, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The battle persisted.

Companions in Adversity

During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He named them all after United players: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. The one he loved most of Man U? A kitty called Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Advances and Ethics

He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include United as an official nickname on his identification document. But still he wasn’t happy. “My efforts will persist until my entire name is as I desire,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a proposal to have club products branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was beyond commercial use.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in 2011. The crew turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered the Bulgarian striker, the forward playing for United at the time.

Marin tattooed the club badge on his forehead subsequently as a objection to the legal rulings and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an religious institution under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my chosen name,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his heart stopped beating. Maybe at last Manchester United’s persistent fan could finally find peace.