I Am Called Manchester United: The Superfan Who Fought to Alter His Identity
Ask any Man United fan of a certain age regarding the significance of 26 May 1999, and they'll recount that the date left an indelible mark. It was the moment when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær sealed an unbelievable come-from-behind victory in the Champions League final against the German giants at the Camp Nou. It was also, the world of one loyal follower in Bulgaria, who passed away at the age of 62, took a new direction.
A Dream Born in Communist Bulgaria
The fan in question was born Marin Levidzhov in Svishtov, a community with a modest number of residents. Growing up in communist Bulgaria with a devotion to football, he longed to legally altering his identity to… the Red Devils. However, to adopt the name of a sports team from the Western world was an unattainable goal. If he had attempted to do so during the socialist era, he would likely have been arrested.
A Promise Forged in Drama
Many seasons after the end of communism in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's idiosyncratic dream moved nearer to reality. Watching the final from his modest home in Svishtov and with his team losing, Marin made a promise to himself: if United somehow turned the game around, he would spare no effort to change his name that of the team he adored. Then, against all odds, it transpired.
He realized his ambition to see the Theatre of Dreams.
A Protracted Court Struggle
A day later, Marin consulted an attorney to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. His dad, from whom he had inherited his love of United, was deceased, and the man in his thirties was residing with his mom, employed in miscellaneous roles, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was barely getting by, yet his goal turned into a fixation. He soon became the local celebrity, then became an international sensation, but a decade and a half full of legal battles and discouraging rulings were to come.
Trademark Issues and Limited Success
The application was turned down at first for trademark concerns: he could not change his name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a local judge allowed a compromise, saying Marin could modify his forename to the city name but that he was not to use the second part as his family name. “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 stated during proceedings. The struggle continued.
A Life with Feline Friends
During breaks from litigation, he was often looking after his cats. He had plenty of them in his garden in Svishtov and held them in the same esteem as the Red Devils. He gave each one a name after club legends: 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.
He was often seen in full club regalia.
Progress and Integrity
Another victory was secured in court: he was allowed to add United as an legal alternative on his personal papers. But he remained dissatisfied. “I won’t stop until my entire name is Manchester United,” he vowed. His story soon led to business offers – a proposal to have fan merchandise made using his identity – but although he was in need, he rejected the opportunity because he refused to make money from his beloved team. The Manchester United name was inviolable.
Aspirations Fulfilled and Final Acts
His story was captured in that year. The production team turned Marin’s dream of experiencing the Theatre of Dreams and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker playing for United at the time.
Marin tattooed the United crest on his face at a later date as a demonstration against the legal rulings and in his last few years it became ever tougher for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he lost his mother to the virus. But somehow, he found a way. Born as a Catholic, 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 would frequently remark.
On a recent Monday, his life came to an end. Perhaps now the club's determined supporter could at last be at rest.
