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Inquire of any Man United fan from an earlier generation about the meaning of May 26th, 1999, and they'll recount that the date changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an unbelievable late turnaround in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the life of one United fan in Bulgaria, who has died at the 62 years old, changed forever.

A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria

The fan in question was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a modest number of residents. Living in the former Eastern Bloc with a passion for football, he dreamed of changing his name to… the Red Devils. Yet, to adopt the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was a futile endeavor. Had Marin tried to do so during the socialist era, he would likely have faced imprisonment.

A Commitment Sealed by Fate

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's idiosyncratic dream came one step closer to achievement. Watching the final from his simple residence in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would go to any lengths to change his 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

The following morning, Marin consulted an attorney to state his extraordinary desire, thus initiating a difficult fight. Marin’s father, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a builder on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then became an international sensation, but 15 years full of court cases and discouraging rulings lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

The application was rejected initially for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a presiding magistrate ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could alter his given name to Manchester but that he was not to use United as his legal last name. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in Britain, I want to carry the title of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.

His Beloved Cats

During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his outdoor space in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after United players: such as Vidic and others, they were the best-known felines in town. Which was the favourite cat of Man U? The feline known as Beckham.

He was often seen in full club regalia.

Progress and Integrity

Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an recognized alias on his personal papers. But this did not satisfy him. “I won’t stop until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he declared. His narrative resulted in commercial propositions – a proposal to have fan merchandise produced under his new name – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his favourite club. The team's title was inviolable.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A documentary followed in that year. The production team turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the national team player on the team's roster at the time.

He inked the team emblem on his face subsequently as a demonstration against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But he managed to continue. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my chosen name,” he used to say.

On a recent Monday, his heart stopped beating. Perhaps now Manchester United’s persistent fan could achieve eternal tranquility.