Valdas Dambrauskas is set to step onto the Old Trafford pitch as head coach of Sabah in the Champions League, a surreal full-circle moment two decades after he began his coaching journey with Manchester United Soccer Schools. His path from a Lithuanian game show contestant to Europe’s elite competition is one of football’s most remarkable underdog tales.


The £725 Breakthrough That Changed Everything

Dambrauskas’ story starts not on the touchline, but on a TV quiz. In 2002, the 25-year-old appeared on Lithuania’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (locally known as Šeši nuliai – milijonas) and won 4,000 litas, roughly £725 at the time, equivalent to six months’ average wages in Lithuania.

Rather than splurging, he invested the winnings in his dream: moving to London to pursue football coaching qualifications. “My idea was to go on these courses, gain the coaching badge, maybe one day return to Lithuania and work as a football coach,” Dambrauskas recalled.


Grinding Through London: Jobs, Courses, and Breakthroughs

Arriving in August 2002 on a student visa with limited English, Dambrauskas spent the next eight years juggling multiple roles while building his coaching CV. He worked as a gardener, handyman, newspaper deliverer, and even polished pub floors, sometimes holding down two, three, or four jobs simultaneously to support his family.


His coaching path began with volunteering at the Access to Sports Project in Finsbury Park, then progressed to London Tigers, a community club where he rose from volunteer to first-team manager in non-league football. In 2004, he enrolled in a sports science and coaching course at London Metropolitan University, the first formal step toward his UEFA coaching licence, which he became the first Lithuanian to earn via the London Football Association.


His big break came later in 2004 when Manchester United Soccer Schools hired him despite his lack of experience. He spent five years coaching on residential camps across the UK and Europe, a period he calls “the best thing that could happen in my life.” Short stints at Fulham and Brentford followed, with academy director Ose Aibangee cited as a major influence.


Trophy Haul Across Europe: 13 Titles in Five Countries

In 2010, Dambrauskas returned to Lithuania to coach full-time with Ekranas, then took charge of Zalgiris Vilnius, where his career truly accelerated. Over three seasons, he secured two league titles, three Lithuanian Cups, and two Super Cups, including a domestic treble in 2016.

His nomadic journey continued across Europe:

  • RFS (Latvia): Latvian Cup winner
  • Gorica (Croatia)
  • Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria): League title, Super Cup, Europa League qualification
  • Hajduk Split (Croatia): Croatian Cup (ending a 10-year trophy drought)
  • OFI Crete (Greece)
  • Omonia (Cyprus): Conference League qualification
  • Diosgyori (Hungary)

By summer 2025, he joined Sabah, his 10th club, where he immediately delivered a league and cup double, securing Sabah’s first-ever title. His career trophy count now stands at 13 across five countries.


Champions League Dream Realized

Getting Sabah to the Champions League group stage required navigating four grueling qualifying rounds, the only club to advance from the first round. Victories over TNS (Wales), KuPS (Finland), Aarhus (Denmark), and Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Israel) culminated in a dramatic final tie: a 94th-minute equalizer sent the match to extra time, with Sabah eventually winning 5-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.


“It’s beyond imagination,” Dambrauskas said. “We’ve never qualified for the Conference League or Europa League… and now suddenly we’re here.”

Based in Masazir, a town of just 19,000 near Baku, Sabah, founded in 2017, will play their home matches at Baku’s Olympic Stadium due to their own ground’s capacity limitations. Their group includes giants like Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Napoli, and Villarreal, plus return trips to England to face Manchester United and Arsenal.


“For me, ‘England’ sounds like opportunities,” Dambrauskas reflected. “England gave me all this, and I’ll forever be grateful.”