Ask any Manchester United supporter of a certain age about the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion left an indelible mark. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an incredible 2-1 comeback in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. It was also, the life of one devoted supporter in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, was transformed.
That supporter was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Growing up in communist Bulgaria with a love of football, he aspired to legally altering his identity to… the Red Devils. However, to adopt the name of a organization from the Western world was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment.
Many seasons after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his simple residence in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to become known as that of the club he loved. Then, a miracle occurred.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
The following morning, Marin sought legal counsel to state his extraordinary desire, thus starting a grueling process. His dad, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was long gone, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of legal battles and discouraging rulings awaited him.
The application was denied early on for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his legal last name. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in England, I want to bear the identity of my beloved team,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.
Outside of legal proceedings, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his back yard in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the his team. He named them all after United players: from Rio to Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.
Marin bedecked in United gear.
He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add United as an official nickname on his personal papers. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he vowed. His narrative resulted in commercial propositions – a chance to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but although he was in need, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his favourite club. The club's identity was beyond commercial use.
A film was made in that year. The production team made his aspiration come true of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player on the team's roster at the time.
He inked the club badge on his face three years later as a demonstration against the court decisions and in his last few years it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Employment was hard to find and he was bereaved to Covid-19. But he managed to continue. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my true identity,” he would frequently remark.
Earlier this week, his heart stopped beating. Perhaps now the club's persistent fan could finally find peace.
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