On Thursday evening, Valdas Dambrauskas is set to step onto the pitch at Old Trafford as the man in charge of Sabah in the Champions League. It marks the end of an improbable path that started nearly two decades earlier with Manchester United Soccer Schools.
The 49-year-old first came to this iconic venue while teaching young players, and now he returns in a completely different role. His journey to Europe’s elite competition took an unexpected turn in 2002 when he appeared on the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and walked away with 4,000 litas, roughly £725 at the time.
That modest sum allowed Dambrauskas to relocate to London and chase his dream of working in football. His route included odd jobs, community coaching projects, and professional youth setups before he eventually made his way across Europe and landed at Sabah.
The game show windfall that launched a coaching career
Dambrauskas’ stint on the popular quiz show became a talking point after Sabah secured their Champions League spot, even though he had mostly moved on from that chapter of his life. His prize money was equivalent to about six months of earnings for the typical Lithuanian worker back then.
The funds allowed him to pay for coaching courses and earn his qualifications, with the initial plan of going back to Lithuania and finding work as a coach. Dambrauskas has pointed out that the television appearance was merely the first step in a far more complex story.
He realized from age 12 that a career as a professional player was out of reach, but he was determined to stay connected to the sport through coaching. In August 2002, at 25 years old, he landed in London on a student visa with very limited English skills.
Two years later, he signed up for a sports science and coaching degree at London Metropolitan University. He then started volunteering with the Access to Sports Project, which worked with kids in Finsbury Park, and later joined the community charity London Tigers.
Getting his big break with Manchester United
Dambrauskas dedicated five years to London Tigers, climbing from volunteer to first-team manager in the Spartan South Midlands League while also gaining experience in the FA Cup and FA Vase. He also made history as the first Lithuanian to earn a UEFA coaching license through the London Football Association.
He made a point of attending coaching seminars, conferences, and London Football Coaches Association gatherings whenever he could, always looking to expand his knowledge and credentials. His entry into professional football came in 2004 when Manchester United Soccer Schools took a chance on him despite his limited background.
For five years, he ran residential programs across Britain and Europe. He has called that opportunity one of the finest things to happen in his life and has credited Foundation chief executive John Shiels for believing in him.
After a brief period at Fulham, he moved to Brentford, where he identified academy director Ose Aibangee as a major influence on his development. During this time, Dambrauskas juggled multiple jobs to provide for his family, taking on work in gardening, odd repairs, delivering newspapers, polishing pub floors, retail, and sports development.
He often held two, three, or even four positions simultaneously. His bond with England remains strong, and Dambrauskas has described the country as a place that opened doors for him.
From English grassroots to 13 trophies in five nations
While balancing his duties at Brentford, London Tigers, and his sports development role, Dambrauskas got the call to coach on a full-time basis. At the end of 2010, he headed back to Lithuania after Ekranas offered him a position as assistant first-team and reserve-team coach.
Four years on, he took over as manager of Zalgiris Vilnius, and his career took off. Over three seasons, he captured two league championships, three Lithuanian Cups, and two Lithuanian Super Cups, including a treble in 2016.
From there, Dambrauskas went on to manage eight different teams across nine years in seven countries. He lifted the Latvian Cup with RFS, then moved to Gorica in Croatia before taking charge of Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets Razgrad, where he added another league title, a Super Cup, and a Europa League qualification to his resume.
His next stop in Croatia was Hajduk Split, where he secured the Croatian Cup, ending the club’s decade-long trophy drought. He then had spells with OFI Crete in Greece, Omonia in Cyprus (who reached the Conference League), and Diosgyori in Hungary.
In the summer of 2025, Dambrauskas took charge of Sabah, the tenth club of his career. He delivered a league and cup double in his opening season, with Sabah winning the title for the first time ever, pushing his total collection to 13 trophies across five countries.
Sabah’s historic run to the Champions League
Sabah had to overcome four knockout rounds to book their place in the Champions League, becoming the only side to advance all the way from the first qualifying round. TNS, KuPS, Aarhus, and Hapoel Beer-Sheva all fell along the way.
The final qualifying tie ended in dramatic fashion. Sabah looked to be on the verge of elimination until Tellur Mutallimov netted in the fourth minute of stoppage time, forcing extra time. Sabah eventually triumphed 5-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.
This achievement carries extra weight for Sabah, a club based in Masazir, about 30 miles north of Baku, in a town with roughly 19,000 residents. The team was only established in 2017 and will celebrate its ninth anniversary on Tuesday.
Sabah’s Bank Respublika Arena holds fewer than 9,000 fans and falls short of UEFA requirements, so the club is likely to host their Champions League fixtures at Baku’s Olympic Stadium. Their group-stage opponents will include Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and Napoli, with away trips to Villarreal and back to England also on the schedule.
Dambrauskas sees the Champions League as a chance for his driven and talented squad to prove they belong at this level. Sabah president Magsud Adigozalov has also spoken highly of the manager’s impact, noting that his influence goes beyond tactics and that he has instilled a winning mindset in the group.
Now Dambrauskas is heading back to Old Trafford, the ground where he once envisioned himself as a coach. He recalls the days when Manchester United and Arsenal, under Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, defined English football’s biggest rivalry, and he says it feels “really amazing” to return in a coaching capacity and listen to the Champions League anthem.