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Inquire of any United supporter from an earlier generation concerning the meaning of that fateful day in May 1999, and the answer will be that the date changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an stunning late turnaround in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. It was also, the world of one United fan in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, took a new direction.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

This individual was originally called Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a settlement with a tight-knit community. Living in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he dreamed of changing his name to… the Red Devils. Yet, to claim the name of a organization from the other side of the Iron Curtain was mission impossible. Any effort to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment.

A Commitment Sealed by Fate

Many seasons after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream edged closer to achievement. Viewing the match from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would spare no effort to change his name that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

Years of Judicial Challenges

A day later, Marin sought legal counsel to present his unique case, thus starting a grueling process. Marin’s father, from whom he had gained his fandom, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, taking on various types of work, including as a builder on a meager daily wage. He was struggling financially, yet his aspiration grew into a mania. He rapidly evolved into the talk of the town, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation lay ahead.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

His request was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a trademark known around the globe. Then a court official ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could change his first name to the city name but that he was not to use United as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be named after a city in the UK, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin told the court. The battle persisted.

His Beloved Cats

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 his team. He christened them after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the celebrity pets in town. The one he loved most of Man U? A kitty called Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Breakthroughs and Principles

Another victory was secured in court: he was granted the right to append the club name as an official nickname on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “I won’t stop until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he vowed. His tale attracted business offers – a chance to have supporters' goods produced under his new name – but despite his financial struggles, he turned down the offer because he did not want to profit from his adored institution. The team's title was sacred to him.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

A documentary followed in that year. The filmmakers made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the forward on the team's roster at the time.

He inked the club badge on his brow at a later date as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his last few years it became increasingly hard for him to continue his legal battle. Job opportunities were scarce and he suffered the death of his mother to Covid-19. But somehow, he found a way. By birth a Catholic, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name his desired full name. “At least God will know me with my true identity,” he often stated.

Earlier this week, his life came to an end. Maybe at last Manchester United’s restless soul could at last be at rest.