From quiz-show winnings to UCL trailblazers: How Sabah FC and Dambrauskas write an unprecedented history
Sabah FC have completed a remarkable transformation from a newly founded Azerbaijani club into Champions League contenders, becoming the first team to progress through all four qualifying rounds and reach the main stage in their debut campaign in Europe’s premier club competition.
Sabah FC have completed one of the most remarkable rises in European football after securing a place in the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time in their history, just nine years after the club was founded.
Founded in 2017, Sabah gradually emerged from the shadow of Azerbaijani powerhouse Qarabag before producing a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign, winning the domestic league and Azerbaijan Cup to claim their first major honours and earn a place in Champions League qualifying.
Their European journey proved even more dramatic, as they negotiated four qualifying rounds against The New Saints, KuPS, Aarhus and Hapoel Be’er Sheva to reach the competition proper.
The defining moment came against Hapoel, when Sabah overturned a first-leg defeat with a remarkable 5-2 extra-time victory in Baku, completing a 6-4 aggregate triumph after twice falling behind in the return match.
Behind the historic achievement is coach Valdas Dambrauskas, whose own route to the Champions League is almost as extraordinary as Sabah’s.
Before entering professional coaching, the Lithuanian won money on a television quiz show and used it to travel to England and invest in his coaching education.
He later gained experience around Manchester United, Fulham and Brentford before managing ninth-tier Kingsbury London Tigers and gradually climbing through European football.
Now, his journey has converged with Sabah’s extraordinary rise. From a club barely a decade old to Azerbaijani champions and Champions League participants, Sabah have announced themselves on Europe’s biggest stage in spectacular fashion.
