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Ask any Man United fan who is older concerning the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion changed them forever. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an incredible 2-1 comeback in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the life of one United fan in Bulgaria, who recently died at the age of 62, took a new direction.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

This individual was born Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a place with a tight-knit community. Growing up in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he longed to adopting a new name to… Manchester United. However, to claim the name of a organization from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. Had Marin tried to do so before the fall of the regime, he would almost certainly have faced imprisonment.

A Promise Forged in Drama

Many seasons after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration edged closer to reality. Tuning in from home 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 change his name that of the team he adored. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

Years of Judicial Challenges

The next day, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had gained his fandom, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of court cases and setbacks in litigation were to come.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

Marin’s wish was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a court official granted a limited approval, saying Marin could alter his given name to Manchester but that he was not to use the second part as his legal last name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in Britain, I want to bear the identity of my beloved team,” Marin informed the judge. His fight went on.

His Beloved Cats

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his garden in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Manchester United. He named them all after club legends: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of the name they used? One named after David Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Progress and Integrity

Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add United as an official nickname on his identification document. But still he wasn’t happy. “I won’t stop until my entire name is the club's title,” he declared. His tale attracted financial opportunities – a proposal to have club products produced under his new name – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he refused to make money from his adored institution. The team's title was beyond commercial use.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

A film was made in that year. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player then at the club at the time.

Permanently marked the United crest on his brow at a later date as a demonstration against the court decisions and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Work was limited and he was bereaved to the pandemic. But somehow, he found a way. By birth a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he would frequently remark.

This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. It is possible that Manchester United’s restless soul could at last be at rest.