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Ask any Manchester United devotee from an earlier generation concerning the meaning of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the occasion was life-altering. It was the moment when last-minute strikes from Sheringham and Solskjær completed an stunning 2-1 comeback in the European Cup final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. Simultaneously, the life of one loyal follower in Eastern Europe, who has died at the 62 years old, took a new direction.

Hopes in a Bygone Era

That supporter was given the name Marin Levidzhov in his hometown, a community with a population of 22,000. Growing up in a socialist state with a devotion to football, he longed to changing his name to… Manchester United. However, to take the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Had Marin tried to do so before the fall of the regime, he would undoubtedly have ended up in jail.

A Vow Made Under Pressure

A decade after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on that night in May 1999 – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to fulfillment. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with United trailing, Marin swore an oath to himself: in the event of a reversal, he would do anything to become known as 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

A day later, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. Marin’s father, from whom he had gained his fandom, was no longer alive, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a laborer on £15 a day. He was barely getting by, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He rapidly evolved into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but a decade and a half full of judicial disputes and disheartening court decisions awaited him.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

The application was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a local judge ruled partially in his favour, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was could not adopt United as his official surname. “But I don’t want to be identified with an urban area in England, I want to carry the title of my beloved team,” Marin told the court. The battle persisted.

Companions in Adversity

During breaks from litigation, he was often looking after his cats. He had a large number in his outdoor space in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after United players: from Rio to Rooney, they were the most famous cats in town. Who was his preferred pet of his close friends' nickname for him? A kitty called Beckham.

His attire consistently showed his allegiance.

Advances and Ethics

Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add United as an recognized alias on his ID card. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my full name is Manchester United,” he promised. His story soon led to commercial propositions – a proposal to have supporters' goods made using his identity – but despite his financial struggles, he rejected the opportunity because he did not want to profit from his adored institution. The club's identity was inviolable.

Goals Achieved and Enduring Symbols

His story was captured in that year. The production team made his aspiration come true of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even met Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

Marin tattooed the club badge on his brow at a later date as a protest against the judicial outcomes and in his final years it became more and more difficult for him to continue his legal battle. Employment was hard to find and he lost his mother to the virus. But he managed to continue. Originally of Catholic faith, he got baptised in an Eastern Orthodox church under the name the identity he sought. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my chosen name,” he used to say.

This Monday, 13 October, his time ran out. It is possible that Manchester United’s persistent fan could at last be at rest.