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Inquire of any United fan of a certain age concerning the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they will tell you that the night left an indelible mark. It was the moment when dramatic late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an incredible 2-1 comeback in the showpiece event against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. Simultaneously, the life of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who has died at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Aspirations Under Communism

This individual was given the name Marin Zdravkov Levidzhov in his hometown, a settlement with a modest number of residents. Being raised in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he aspired to changing his name to… the Red Devils. However, to take the name of a organization from the Western world was mission impossible. Had Marin tried to do so prior to the end of communism, he would likely have faced imprisonment.

A Commitment Sealed by Fate

Ten years after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's idiosyncratic dream edged closer to reality. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin swore an oath to himself: should his team mount a comeback, he would do anything to legally adopt the name that of the club he loved. Then, the impossible happened.

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

The Long Legal Battle

The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. The parent who inspired him, from whom he had learned to support the club, was no longer alive, and the 36-year-old was caring for his parent, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a builder on minimal earnings. He was barely getting by, yet his dream became an obsession. He soon became the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and disheartening court decisions awaited him.

Legal Obstacles and Small Wins

His request was rejected initially for trademark concerns: he was barred from using the title of a world-famous brand. Then a local judge granted a limited approval, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his official surname. “Yet my aim is to be named after a city in England, I want to carry the title of my beloved team,” Marin told the court. The battle persisted.

A Life with Feline Friends

When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his garden in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after team stars: including Ferdinand and Rooney, they were the best-known felines in town. The one he loved most of his close friends' nickname for him? One named after David Beckham.

Marin bedecked in United gear.

Advances and Ethics

He achieved a further success in court: he was permitted to include the club name as an legal alternative on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my entire name is the club's title,” he vowed. His tale attracted financial opportunities – an offer to have fan merchandise branded with his legal name – but even with his monetary challenges, he turned down the offer because he refused to make money from his favourite club. The Manchester United name was sacred to him.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

His story was captured in 2011. The crew fulfilled his wish of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even had the chance to see Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

Marin tattooed the team emblem on his brow three years later as a protest against the court decisions and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to persist with his fight. Work was limited and he lost his mother to the virus. But he managed to continue. Originally of Catholic faith, he underwent baptism in an orthodox church under the name Manchester United Zdravkov Levidzhov. “In the eyes of the divine, I am with my chosen name,” he often stated.

On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last the club's persistent fan could at last be at rest.