I Am Called MUFC: This Die-Hard Supporter Who Struggled to Alter His Identity

Ask any Manchester United devotee who is older about the importance of 26 May 1999, and the answer will be that the date was life-altering. It was the moment when last-minute strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær secured an incredible 2-1 comeback in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the famous Barcelona stadium. It was also, the world of one United fan in Eastern Europe, who has died at the 62 years old, was transformed.

Aspirations Under Communism

The fan in question was originally called Marin Levidzhov in a small Danube town, a place with a tight-knit community. Growing up in a socialist state with a passion for football, he aspired to adopting a new name to… Manchester United. But, to take the name of a sports team from the other side of the Iron Curtain was an unattainable goal. Any effort to do so during the socialist era, he would undoubtedly have been arrested.

A Promise Forged in Drama

Many seasons after the fall of the regime in Bulgaria – on the unforgettable final – Marin's personal goal moved nearer to fulfillment. Viewing the match from his modest home in Svishtov and with the score against them, Marin vowed to himself: in the event of a reversal, 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.

The Long Legal Battle

The next day, Marin visited a lawyer to express his unusual request, thus beginning a long, hard battle. His dad, from whom he had gained his fandom, was deceased, and the 36-year-old was living with his mother, working all kinds of odd jobs, including as a construction worker on minimal earnings. He was struggling financially, yet his dream became an obsession. He quickly turned into the subject of gossip, then was featured globally, but 15 years full of judicial disputes and setbacks in litigation awaited him.

Trademark Issues and Limited Success

His request was turned down at first for copyright reasons: he was not permitted to adopt the name of a trademark known around the globe. Then a presiding magistrate allowed a compromise, saying Marin could alter his given name to the city name but that he was not to use the second part as his legal last name. “Yet my aim is to be identified with an urban area in Britain, I want to bear the identity of my favourite football club,” Marin stated during proceedings. The battle persisted.

Companions in Adversity

When not in court, he was often caring for his feline friends. He had many animals in his outdoor space in Svishtov and loved them as much as the Red Devils. He christened them after team stars: such as Vidic and others, they were the celebrity pets 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 allowed to add the club name as an legal alternative on his identification document. But he remained dissatisfied. “I will continue until my full name is as I desire,” he declared. His tale attracted business offers – an offer to have club products made using his identity – but even with his monetary challenges, he declined the proposal because he was unwilling to gain financially 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 turned Marin’s dream of seeing the iconic stadium and there he even encountered Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker on the team's roster at the time.

He inked the team emblem on his forehead subsequently as a objection to the legal rulings and in his closing chapter it became increasingly hard for him to keep up the struggle. Job opportunities were scarce and he lost his mother to the pandemic. But against the odds, he persevered. Born as a Catholic, he underwent baptism in an religious institution under the name his desired full name. “Ultimately, my true name is recognized with my chosen name,” he would frequently remark.

On a recent Monday, his time ran out. Maybe at last Manchester United’s determined supporter could at last be at rest.