Sofia, Bulgaria
A Bulgarian construction worker has won the right to change his name officially to Manchester United, which also happens to be the name of a popular British soccer club. The former Zdravkov Levichov started a lawsuit two years ago to force the government to allow the change. “I’ve always been a Manchester United fan, and I wanted to change my name since I was a schoolboy,” United, 39, told the Edinburgh Scotsman. “But under communism it was not possible.” Bulgaria became democratic in 1990, and its laws have been changing slowly since then. United’s fight isn’t over, though. The court has ruled that his legal name is now Manchester Zdravkov Levichov United, and United says he won’t be satisfied until the two middle names are removed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Codeword: October 16, 2024The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Cameroon bans reports on health of missing President BiyaUnder the Radar Biya, 91, hasn't been seen in public in weeks, fuelling widespread speculation that he might be dead
-
Jeff VanderMeer's 6 favorite books that dwell into the unknownFeature The best-selling author recommends works by Tana French, John le Carré, and more
