🔗 Share this article

Ask any Manchester United supporter of a certain age about the meaning of May 26th, 1999, and they will tell you that the occasion was life-altering. It was the evening when dramatic late goals from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an unbelievable late turnaround in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the existence of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who passed away at the age of 62, was transformed.

Aspirations Under Communism

This individual was given the name Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a tight-knit community. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he aspired to adopting a new name to… his beloved club. However, to claim the name of a sports team from the Western world was a futile endeavor. If he had attempted to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have been arrested.

A Promise Forged in Drama

A decade after the political changes in Bulgaria – on the historic evening – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to reality. Tuning in from home from his humble abode in Svishtov and with United trailing, 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, the impossible happened.

A lifelong wish to walk the halls of the famous stadium came true.

A Protracted Court Struggle

The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on £15 a day. He was struggling financially, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He rapidly evolved into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

His request was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a world-famous brand. Then a court official allowed a compromise, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was could not adopt United as his family name. “Yet my aim is to be named after a city in Britain, I want to wear the name of my beloved team,” Marin informed the judge. The battle persisted.

Companions in Adversity

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after United players: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Advances and Ethics

He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an legal alternative on his identification document. But still he wasn’t happy. “I will continue until my full name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His story soon led to business offers – a chance to have club products made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he rejected the opportunity because he did not want to profit from his favourite club. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Dreams Realized and Lasting Tributes

A film was made in 2011. The filmmakers fulfilled his wish of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.

Marin tattooed the club badge on his forehead subsequently as a protest against the court decisions and in his closing chapter it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he was christened in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my chosen name,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his life came to an end. Perhaps now Manchester United’s persistent fan could finally find peace.