🔗 Share this article

Ask any Man United supporter of a certain age concerning the significance of May 26th, 1999, and they'll recount that the date left an indelible mark. It was the night when dramatic late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completed an stunning 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the existence of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who has died at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Aspirations Under Communism

The fan in question was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a modest number of residents. Living in the former Eastern Bloc with a love of football, he longed to changing his name to… Manchester United. But, to adopt the name of a organization from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to reality. Tuning in from home from his simple residence in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to become known as that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

Years of Judicial Challenges

The next day, Marin sought legal counsel to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had learned to support the club, was no longer alive, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on a meager daily wage. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the local celebrity, then was featured globally, but a decade and a half full of judicial disputes and discouraging rulings were to come.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

The application was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate granted a limited approval, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his family name. “However, I desire to be associated with just a place in England, I want to bear the identity of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.

His Beloved Cats

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his back yard in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the his team. He gave each one a name after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Which was the favourite cat of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an recognized alias on his personal papers. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my complete identity is as I desire,” he declared. His tale attracted commercial propositions – a chance to have club products branded with his legal name – but despite his financial struggles, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his adored institution. The team's title was beyond commercial use.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

A documentary followed in that year. 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 then at the club at the time.

Marin tattooed the United crest on his forehead subsequently as a objection to the court decisions and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he was bereaved to Covid-19. 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 chosen name,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his time ran out. Perhaps now Manchester United’s restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.