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Ask any Man United devotee who is older regarding the importance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the night changed them forever. It was the evening when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær completed an incredible 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the existence of one United fan in Bulgaria, who has died at the age of 62, changed forever.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

That supporter was born Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a place with a tight-knit community. Being raised in a socialist state with a love of football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… the Red Devils. However, to take the name of a organization from the capitalist west was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have been arrested.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

Ten years after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's idiosyncratic dream came one step closer to fulfillment. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would go to any lengths to become known as that of the club he loved. Then, against all odds, it transpired.

He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.

The Long Legal Battle

The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to state his extraordinary desire, thus beginning a long, hard battle. His dad, from whom he had learned to support the club, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was residing with his mom, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a laborer on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He quickly turned into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

His request was denied early on for trademark concerns: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a court official ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was not to use United as his family name. “But I don’t want to be named after a city in England, I want to bear the identity of my beloved team,” Marin stated during proceedings. His fight went on.

His Beloved Cats

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often looking after his cats. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? The feline known as Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Breakthroughs and Principles

He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append United as an recognized alias on his personal papers. But he remained dissatisfied. “My efforts will persist until my entire name is the club's title,” he declared. His story soon led to financial opportunities – a chance to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – but despite his financial struggles, he declined the proposal because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The team's title was beyond commercial use.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

His story was captured in that year. The filmmakers turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even met the Bulgarian striker, the forward on the team's roster at the time.

Permanently marked the United crest on his face subsequently as a protest against the legal rulings and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he lost his mother to Covid-19. But he managed to continue. Born as a Catholic, he got baptised in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “At least God will know me with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.

Earlier this week, his time ran out. Maybe at last Manchester United’s restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.