🔗 Share this article

Ask any Manchester United supporter who is older regarding the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the date changed them forever. It was the moment when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær secured an unbelievable come-from-behind victory in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. That same night, the existence of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who recently died at the age of 62, 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 tight-knit community. Living in communist Bulgaria with a love of football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. However, to take the name of a sports team from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so during the socialist era, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's idiosyncratic dream edged closer to fulfillment. Viewing the match from his humble abode in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would go to any lengths to legally adopt the name that of the team he adored. Then, the impossible happened.

A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.

The Long Legal Battle

A day later, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had gained his fandom, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on a meager daily wage. He was barely getting by, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of court cases and disheartening court decisions were to come.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

Marin’s wish was denied early on for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his official surname. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in England, I want to carry the title of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. The battle persisted.

A Life with Feline Friends

During breaks from litigation, he was often looking after his cats. He had a large number in his back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He christened them after United players: from Rio to Rooney, they were the celebrity pets in town. Which was the favourite cat of the name they used? A kitty called Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Progress and Integrity

He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include United as an legal alternative on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my entire name is the club's title,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in business offers – a proposal to have club products produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was beyond commercial use.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A documentary followed in 2011. The filmmakers fulfilled his wish of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.

He inked the club badge on his face subsequently as a objection to the judicial outcomes and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Work was limited and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he used to say.

Earlier this week, his heart stopped beating. Perhaps now the club's restless soul could at last be at rest.