Valdas Dambrauskas will return to Old Trafford as manager of Sabah in the Champions League, almost 20 years after he began his coaching career with Manchester United Soccer Schools.

“This is beyond my imagination,” the Lithuanian coach told BBC Sport. “To go through that tunnel on to that pitch.”

“I’ve been many times to Old Trafford with the kids, and now I’m going to come as a coach.”

Dambrauskas’ route to the Champions League began with an appearance on the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2002. He won 4,000 litas, described in the report as about £725, and used the money to move to London and pursue coaching qualifications.

At the age of 25, with limited English, he arrived in the capital on a student visa. Over the following years he combined coaching work with several jobs while raising two children.

He studied sports science and coaching at London Metropolitan University and volunteered with the Access to Sports Project in Finsbury Park. He later joined London Tigers, progressing from volunteer to first-team manager in non-league football.

Dambrauskas also became the first Lithuanian to achieve a Uefa coaching licence through the London Football Association. In 2004, Manchester United Soccer Schools gave him his first opportunity at a professional club. He spent five years coaching residential courses in the UK and Europe.

“I will be forever grateful to [Foundation chief executive] John Shiels, the way he gave me this chance, because I didn’t have experience,” Dambrauskas said.

He later had a short spell with Fulham before moving to Brentford. Alongside his football work, he held a series of jobs, including gardening, handyman work, newspaper rounds, retail and sports development roles.

“I was doing two, three, sometimes four jobs,” he said.

A coaching career across Europe

Dambrauskas left England at the end of 2010 to return to Lithuania, joining Ekranas as an assistant first-team and reserve-team coach. He later managed Zalgiris Vilnius, winning two league titles, three Lithuanian Cups and two Lithuanian Super Cups in three seasons.

He went on to manage clubs in several European countries, including RFS, Gorica, Ludogorets Razgrad, Hajduk Split, OFI Crete, Omonia and Diosgyori. His honours include league titles in Lithuania and Bulgaria, domestic cups in Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia, and a Conference League qualification with Omonia.

According to the report, Dambrauskas has won 13 trophies across five countries.

He joined Azerbaijan’s Sabah in the summer of 2025 and completed a league and cup double in his first season, with the club winning the title for the first time.

Sabah reach the Champions League

Sabah qualified for the Champions League after progressing through four qualifying ties. The Azerbaijani club defeated TNS, KuPS, Aarhus and Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Their final qualifying tie appeared to be slipping away before Tellur Mutallimov scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to send the second leg into extra time. Sabah eventually won 5-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.

“To go to the Champions League is something beyond imagination,” Dambrauskas said. “We have never qualified for the Conference League, we have never qualified for the Europa League. We have never passed more than two rounds in a row in one competition, and now suddenly we are here.”

Sabah are based in Masazir, north of Baku, and were formed in 2017. Their Bank Respublika Arena does not meet Uefa regulations, so the club are expected to play their Champions League matches at Baku’s Olympic Stadium.

The club are scheduled to host Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Napoli, while also travelling to Villarreal. Their fixtures in England include a meeting with Manchester United at Old Trafford and a match against Arsenal.

Dambrauskas said the return to England carried particular significance after beginning his career there.

“When I hear this word ‘England’, it for me sounds like opportunities,” he said. “England gave me all this and I’ll forever be grateful.”