🔗 Share this article

Pose the question to any United devotee from an earlier generation concerning the significance of May 26th, 1999, and the answer will be that the occasion was life-altering. It was the moment when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an unbelievable come-from-behind victory in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the life of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the age of 62, took a new direction.

Aspirations Under Communism

This individual was originally called Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a place with a population of 22,000. Living in the former Eastern Bloc with a devotion to football, he aspired to legally altering his identity to… his beloved club. Yet, to adopt the name of a football club from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have ended up in jail.

A Promise Forged in Drama

Ten years after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to fulfillment. Viewing the match from his humble abode in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would spare no effort to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, against all odds, it transpired.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

A Protracted Court Struggle

A day later, Marin sought legal counsel to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had gained his fandom, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, taking on various types of work, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then gained worldwide attention, but many seasons full of legal battles and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

The application was turned down at first for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a local judge allowed a compromise, 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. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to bear the identity of my cherished club,” Marin told the court. The struggle continued.

His Beloved Cats

When not in court, he was often looking after his cats. He had a large number in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Manchester United. He named them all after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? A kitty called Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Progress and Integrity

He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include United as an recognized alias on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my entire name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His story soon led to business offers – a proposal to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but despite his financial struggles, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was beyond commercial use.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

His story was captured in that year. The production team fulfilled his wish of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered his compatriot, the national team player then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the United crest on his forehead subsequently as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. By birth a Catholic, he was christened in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my true identity,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his time ran out. Maybe at last the club's restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.