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Pose the question to any United devotee from an earlier generation concerning the importance of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the date changed them forever. It was the evening when injury-time goals from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an unbelievable late turnaround in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. It was also, the life of one devoted supporter in Eastern Europe, who recently died at the age of 62, was transformed.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

That supporter was born Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a population of 22,000. Living in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he dreamed of adopting a new name to… his beloved club. Yet, to claim the name of a football club from the Western world was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would almost certainly have been arrested.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration edged closer to achievement. Tuning in from home from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would spare no effort to become known as that of the team he adored. Then, against all odds, it transpired.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

Years of Judicial Challenges

A day later, Marin consulted an attorney to state his extraordinary desire, thus starting a grueling process. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had learned to support the club, was long gone, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He quickly turned into the local celebrity, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of court cases and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

Marin’s wish was turned down at first for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge allowed a compromise, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was prohibited from using the second part as his family name. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in Britain, I want to bear the identity of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.

His Beloved Cats

During breaks from litigation, he was often tending to his pets. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Manchester United. He christened them 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.

Progress and Integrity

He achieved a further success in court: he was allowed to add United as an official nickname on his personal papers. But this did not satisfy him. “I won’t stop until my complete identity is as I desire,” he promised. His narrative resulted in financial opportunities – a proposal to have club products branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was beyond commercial use.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

A documentary followed in 2011. The production team fulfilled his wish of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even had the chance to see his compatriot, the forward playing for United at the time.

He inked the United crest on his face three years later as a objection to the legal rulings and in his last few years it became increasingly hard for him to persist with his fight. Employment was hard to find and he lost his mother to the virus. But he managed to continue. Born as a Catholic, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “At least God will know me with my real name,” he would frequently remark.

On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last the club's restless soul could finally find peace.