Valdas Dambrauskas: Lithuanian Sabah manager brings Azerbaijani club to Old Trafford in Champions League

Lithuanian manager Valdas Dambrauskas is preparing to walk out at Old Trafford as he leads Azerbaijani side Sabah into the Champions League. Hailing from a basketball-obsessed nation, Dambrauskas funded his early coaching career in England using prize money won on a television game show.

Valdas Dambrauskas will achieve a monumental personal milestone when he leads Azerbaijani champions Sabah out at Old Trafford in the Champions League. Hailing from basketball-crazed Lithuania, the 49-year-old manager has taken the town of Masazir—with a population of just 19,000—onto Europe's biggest football stage.

Sabah became the first team starting in the first qualifying round to navigate four knockout ties and reach the main phase.

The qualification completed a remarkable rise for the nine-year-old club after Dambrauskas secured a domestic league and cup double during his debut season in 2026.