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Pose the question to any Man United devotee from an earlier generation about the significance of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the date was life-altering. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an incredible late turnaround in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the life of one United fan in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the 62 years old, was transformed.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

The fan in question was born Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a population of 22,000. Living in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. However, to take the name of a sports team from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Promise Forged in Drama

Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to fulfillment. Viewing the match from his simple residence in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin swore an oath to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would spare no effort 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.

A Protracted Court Struggle

The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had learned to support the club, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was residing with his mom, 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 legal battles and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

The application was turned down at first for intellectual property issues: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge granted a limited approval, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name 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 carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.

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 loved them as much as the Manchester United. He christened them after club legends: from Rio to Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. The one he loved most of the name they used? One named after David Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was granted the right to append United as an official nickname on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I won’t stop until my complete identity is as I desire,” he declared. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a proposal to have supporters' goods made using his identity – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his favourite club. The team's title was beyond commercial use.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A film was made in that year. The crew turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the forward then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the team emblem on his brow at a later date as a protest against the court decisions and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Work was limited and he lost his mother to Covid-19. But against the odds, he persevered. Originally of Catholic faith, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “At least God will know me with my chosen name,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his life came to an end. Perhaps now Manchester United’s determined supporter could at last be at rest.