Sabah Coach Dambrauskas Credits Quiz Winnings for Coaching Career

Sabah FK coach Valdas Dambrauskas reached European football's biggest club competition after an unconventional journey that began with a television quiz prize in Lithuania. On October 20, 2026, the 49-year-old faced Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League after building a coaching career without a background as a professional player.

According to absolutfussball.com, Dambrauskas won 4,000 Lithuanian litas on the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2002. The prize was worth just over 1,000 euros at the time and provided the money he needed to travel to London and begin his studies.

Dambrauskas explained that the winnings helped him pursue coaching despite lacking a professional playing career.

"I had no career as a professional player, so I had to find another way. This quiz gave me the money to buy a ticket to London and begin my studies. It was a small amount, but it changed my life because I could invest in my dream." Dambrauskas said.

He subsequently enrolled at London Metropolitan University to study sports science and coaching. According to absolutfussball.com, he worked early-morning newspaper delivery shifts and spent his days caring for children at a kindergarten to cover tuition fees and living expenses.

His first coaching opportunities came in London's amateur game and youth development system. Dambrauskas worked with ninth-tier club Kingsbury London Tigers and youth academies associated with Fulham and Brentford before progressing through Lithuania's national youth teams.

His subsequent achievements established him as a coach capable of winning trophies in several European countries. At FK Zalgiris Vilnius, he won three Lithuanian league titles, along with domestic cup and super cup honors.

In 2021, Dambrauskas won the Bulgarian league title and super cup with Ludogorets Razgrad. He then guided HNK Hajduk Split to the Croatian Cup in 2022, securing the club's first trophy in nine years, according to absolutfussball.com.

At Sabah FK, the Lithuanian coach made an immediate impact by winning the domestic league and cup double in his debut season. The club subsequently progressed through four demanding qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League for the first time.

Sabah secured its place in the competition with a 5-2 extra-time victory over Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the second leg of the playoff round. The achievement brought Dambrauskas to a meeting with Borussia Dortmund on European football's most prominent club stage.

Before the match, Dambrauskas emphasized the challenge posed by the German side, warning that Dortmund's recent scoring difficulties could make the team more dangerous rather than less threatening.

"We have to give everything to achieve a good result. The fact that BVB have recently experienced a small goal drought is by no means good news for us. It only means they will be even more dangerous, angrier and more motivated." Dambrauskas said.