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Ask any Manchester United fan who is older regarding the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and the answer will be that the occasion left an indelible mark. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an incredible come-from-behind victory in the Champions League final against the German giants at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the life of one United fan in Bulgaria, who passed away at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

The fan in question was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Being raised in the former Eastern Bloc with a devotion to football, he longed to changing his name to… his beloved club. But, to take the name of a football club from the capitalist west was an unattainable goal. If he had attempted to do so before the fall of the regime, he would almost certainly have faced imprisonment.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

Ten years after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to achievement. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the team he adored. Then, the impossible happened.

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

Years of Judicial Challenges

A day later, Marin visited a lawyer to present his unique case, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a builder on a meager daily wage. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He quickly turned into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of judicial disputes and disheartening court decisions awaited him.

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 trademark known around the globe. Then a court official ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to Manchester but that he was not to use the second part as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be associated with just a place in the UK, I want to carry the title of my cherished club,” Marin informed the judge. His fight went on.

A Life with Feline Friends

Outside of legal proceedings, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had a large number in his back yard in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Manchester United. He gave each one a name after United players: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. Who was his preferred pet of Man U? A kitty called Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Breakthroughs and Principles

He achieved a further success in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an recognized alias on his ID card. But still he wasn’t happy. “I will continue until my entire name is as I desire,” he vowed. His story soon led to commercial propositions – a proposal to have club products branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he refused to make money from his favourite club. The club's identity was inviolable.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

His story was captured in that year. The crew made his aspiration come true of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the national team player playing for United at the time.

Permanently marked the club badge on his face at a later date as a protest against the court decisions and in his last few years it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he suffered the death of his mother to the virus. But he managed to continue. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my real name,” he would frequently remark.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that Manchester United’s restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.