From quiz show winner to UCL: Dambrauskas’ extraordinary journey

Sabah Baku’s historic qualification for the Champions League has shone a spotlight on head coach Valdas Dambrauskas, whose path to Europe’s top stage is unlike any other. The Lithuanian, never a professional footballer, began his coaching journey in 2002 after winning the Lithuanian edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The prize — four thousand litas, roughly €3,000 today — funded a trip to England, where he studied Sports Science and Coaching at London Metropolitan University and gained experience at academies including Manchester United, Fulham and Brentford.

Dambrauskas later progressed through Lithuania’s youth national teams before entering senior football in 2013, managing clubs such as Hajduk Split and Ludogorets Razgrad. Last year he took charge of Sabah, guiding them through all four Champions League qualifying rounds. They became the only team from the initial 28‑club field to reach the league phase, completing the feat with a dramatic 5‑2 extra‑time win over Hapoel Beer Sheva.