On Thursday, Valdas Dambrauskas will walk out at Old Trafford as manager of Sabah in the Champions League. The Lithuanian's career will come full circle, some 20 years since he made his first steps into coaching with Manchester United Soccer Schools. Dambrauskas says he had known since the age of 12 he would not make it as a player, but coaching would keep him close to football.
Dambrauskas arrived in London in August 2002 aged 25 on a student visa with limited English. He went on to coach for community projects, at a semi-professional club, within professional youth programmes, and hold down multiple jobs while raising two children. Dambrauskas eventually became the first Lithuanian to achieve a Uefa coaching licence through the London Football Association.
After a series of moves in which Dambrauskas took charge of eight teams over nine years in seven countries, he arrived at Sabah in the summer of 2025, where he completed the league and cup double in his first season. Now, Sabah will host Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and Napoli, and face a trip to Villarreal, as well as visits to Manchester United and Arsenal.