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Ask any Manchester United fan of a certain age about the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and they will tell you that the night changed them forever. It was the night when injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjær sealed an unbelievable late turnaround in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the world of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who passed away at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

That supporter was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in Svishtov, a place with a tight-knit community. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… Manchester United. Yet, to adopt the name of a football club from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would likely have faced imprisonment.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's personal goal came one step closer to achievement. Viewing the match from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin vowed to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would go to any lengths to legally adopt the name that of the object of his devotion. Then, a miracle occurred.

Marin fulfils his dream of visiting Old Trafford.

A Protracted Court Struggle

The following morning, Marin visited a lawyer to state his extraordinary desire, thus initiating a difficult fight. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had learned to support the club, was long gone, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his dream became an obsession. He rapidly evolved into the local celebrity, then was featured globally, but many seasons full of court cases and discouraging rulings were to come.

Copyright Hurdles and Partial Victories

Marin’s wish was turned down at first for intellectual property issues: he was barred from using the title of a internationally recognized entity. Then a local judge allowed a compromise, saying Marin could modify his forename to Manchester but that he was not to use United as his official surname. “Yet my aim is to be identified with an urban area in England, I want to wear the name of my favourite football club,” Marin informed the judge. The struggle continued.

A Life with Feline Friends

When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his back yard in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the his team. He gave each one a name after team stars: from Rio to Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. The one he loved most of the name they used? The feline known as Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Progress and Integrity

Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add the club name as an recognized alias on his personal papers. But still he wasn’t happy. “My efforts will persist until my entire name is Manchester United,” he declared. His narrative resulted in business offers – an offer to have supporters' goods branded with his legal name – but despite his financial struggles, he rejected the opportunity because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts

A film was made in 2011. The crew made his aspiration come true of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered his compatriot, the forward playing for United at the time.

Marin tattooed the United crest on his face subsequently as a objection to the legal rulings and in his final years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Employment was hard to find and he suffered the death of his mother to the virus. But somehow, he found a way. By birth a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an Eastern 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 time ran out. It is possible that the club's determined supporter could at last be at rest.