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Inquire of any United devotee who is older about the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the date changed them forever. It was the evening 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 Camp Nou. That same night, the existence of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, was transformed.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

This individual was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a community with a tight-knit community. Growing up in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he aspired to changing his name to… his beloved club. However, to claim the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration moved nearer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his humble abode in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: should his team mount a comeback, 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.

The Long Legal Battle

A day later, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus initiating a difficult fight. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was living with his mother, taking on various types of work, including as a construction worker on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He quickly turned into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of legal battles and discouraging rulings were to come.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

The application was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he was barred from using the title 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 could not adopt United as his family name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in the UK, I want to wear the name of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. His fight went on.

A Life with Feline Friends

During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had a large number in his garden in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after club legends: such as Vidic and others, they were the most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of the name they used? A kitty called Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Breakthroughs and Principles

Another victory was secured in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an legal alternative on his ID card. But this did not satisfy him. “I will continue until my entire name is the club's title,” he declared. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a proposal to have supporters' goods made using his identity – but despite his financial struggles, he rejected the opportunity because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in 2011. The production team fulfilled his wish of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

Marin tattooed the United crest on his brow three years later as a objection to the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Work was limited 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. “At least God will know me with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that Manchester United’s restless soul could at last be at rest.