🔗 Share this article My Name Is Man Utd: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Fought to Change His Identity Pose the question to any Manchester United devotee of a certain age regarding the significance of that fateful day in May 1999, and the answer will be that the occasion was life-altering. It was the night when last-minute strikes from Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an incredible 2-1 comeback in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. That same night, the life of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who recently died at the age of 62, took a new direction. Aspirations Under Communism This individual was born Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a place with a tight-knit community. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a passion for football, he aspired to changing his name to… the Red Devils. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the Western world was a futile endeavor. Any effort to do so prior to the end of communism, he would undoubtedly have faced imprisonment. A Commitment Sealed by Fate A decade after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's unique aspiration came one step closer to reality. Tuning in from home from his humble abode in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin made a promise 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. He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams. Years of Judicial Challenges The following morning, Marin sought legal counsel to state his extraordinary desire, thus beginning a long, hard battle. His dad, from whom he had gained his fandom, was no longer alive, and the man in his thirties was living with his mother, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on a meager daily wage. He was hardly making ends meet, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then became an international sensation, but many seasons full of court cases and setbacks in litigation awaited him. Legal Obstacles and Small Wins Marin’s wish was rejected initially for intellectual property issues: he could not change his name of a internationally recognized entity. Then a presiding magistrate granted a limited approval, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was prohibited from using United as his official surname. “But I don’t want 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 struggle continued. A Life with Feline Friends When not in court, he was often tending to his pets. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and cherished them equally with the Red Devils. He named them all after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. The one he loved most of Man U? A kitty called Beckham. He was often seen in full club regalia. Breakthroughs and Principles Marin managed another breakthrough in court: he was allowed to add United as an legal alternative on his ID card. But this did not satisfy him. “I won’t stop until my complete identity is Manchester United,” he declared. His story soon led to commercial propositions – a proposal to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – but although he was in need, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was sacred to him. Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts A film was made in 2011. The production team made his aspiration come true of visiting Old Trafford and there he even had the chance to see the Bulgarian striker, the national team player playing for United at the time. Permanently marked the club badge on his face at a later date as a objection to the legal rulings and in his final years it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Work was limited and he lost his mother to the virus. But somehow, he found a way. Born as a Catholic, he got baptised in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my real name,” he used to say. This Monday, 13 October, his life came to an end. Maybe at last Manchester United’s restless soul could achieve eternal tranquility.