The prestigious BBC portal has published an extensive article about Valdas Dambrauskas, the head coach of Sabah.
The piece discusses the unexpected and intriguing life story of the Lithuanian specialist.
Offsideplus.az presents a shortened version of the article:
Valdas Dambrauskas: The Journey from 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' to the Champions League and Old Trafford
Sabah's head coach Valdas Dambrauskas is set to face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League. For the Lithuanian specialist, this marks a return to the venue 20 years after he began his coaching career at the Manchester United Football School.
Dambrauskas's story began in 2002 when he won 4,000 litas (approximately £725) on the Lithuanian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'. With this money, he travelled to London to attend coaching courses:
"My idea was to spend this money on courses to obtain a coaching licence, with the hope of returning to Lithuania one day to work as a coach."
During his eight years in London, he worked in various jobs, including gardening, cleaning, and delivering newspapers, while studying sports science at London Metropolitan University. Dambrauskas became the first Lithuanian to receive a UEFA licence from the London Football Association and secured his first major opportunity in professional football in 2004 when he was hired by the Manchester United Football School.
In 2010, he left England to return to his home country, working with Ekranas and Jalgiris, and winning 13 titles across five different countries. After winning cups with Jalgiris, RFS, Ludogorets, and Hajduk, he took over as head coach of Sabah in the summer of 2025. In his first season, he led the capital club to a historic first championship, achieving a golden double.
Sabah, having dramatically defeated Hapoel (Beer Sheva) in the Champions League play-off round, is the only team to have progressed from the first qualifying round to this stage. In the group stage, Sabah will face formidable opponents such as Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Napoli, Villarreal, Arsenal, and Manchester United.
Sabah's president, Maqsud Adigozelov, has highly praised the head coach's impact on the team:
"He has instilled a winning mentality in the team. Even in the toughest moments, the team does not lose its fighting spirit. This is a testament to the head coach's efforts."
Dambrauskas expresses his feelings:
"During my time in England, the rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal, and the clash between Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, was at its peak. Now, returning here as a head coach in the Champions League and hearing that famous anthem is an incredible feeling."
