Valdas Dambrauskas

Valdas Dambrauskas
Dambrauskas managing Ludogorets Razgrad in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (1977-01-07) 7 January 1977
Place of birth Pakruojis, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Team information
Current team
 Sabah (manager)
Managerial career
Years Team
2007–2010 Kingsbury London Tigers
2009 Lithuania U17
2011–2012 Lithuania U19
2014 Ekranas Panevėžys
2014–2017 Žalgiris
2017–2020 RFS
2020–2021 Gorica
2021 Ludogorets Razgrad
2021–2022 Hajduk Split
2022–2023 OFI
2024 Omonia
2025 Diósgyőr
2025– Sabah

Valdas Dambrauskas (born 7 January 1977) is a Lithuanian professional football manager. He is currently the head coach of Azerbaijan Premier League club Sabah.

Life

Dambrauskas was born and raised in Pakruojis, Lithuania, in a working-class family. His father worked in construction and his mother was a cook in a canteen. He was one of four children. His father died when Dambrauskas was 11, and he began working at a young age to help support his family.[1]

As a child, Dambrauskas participated in several sports, including basketball, athletics and chess, before concentrating on football. He played football from the age of 17 to 23, reaching the third tier of Lithuanian football.[1]

In 2002, aged 25, Dambrauskas appeared on the Lithuanian version of the television quiz show Šeši nuliai – milijonas (Six Zeros – A Million), based on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He won 4,000 litas, a sum that was approximately equivalent to a year's salary for some Lithuanians at the time.[2] He used the prize money to move to England with his partner, later his wife, and to begin a career in football coaching.[2][3]

Before moving to England, Dambrauskas had obtained a degree in engineering.[2] In England, he studied sport science and coaching at London Metropolitan University.[4] During his studies, he worked in youth football, including at Fulham, Manchester United and Brentford.[4] He subsequently pursued a master's degree at the Lithuanian Sports University.[5]

Dambrauskas supported himself through various jobs while developing his coaching career in England. He worked as a shop assistant, delivered newspapers, worked in a kindergarten and later as a private childminder, using much of his income to pay for coaching courses and books.[6]

In 2022, Dambrauskas was named an honorary ambassador of the Pakruojis region by the Pakruojis District Municipality.[7]

Managerial career

Early career

Dambrauskas worked as a coach at several youth academies in England, including Fulham, Manchester United and Brentford. His first senior managerial position was with Kingsbury London Tigers in the Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division, where he led the team to its highest finish in club history.[8] For his work, Dambrauskas received an award at the Active Westminster Awards.[9] He was also head coach of the Lithuania national under-17 team between 2009 and 2010.[10]

Ekranas

In December 2010, Dambrauskas joined Lithuanian champions Ekranas as an assistant coach to Lithuanian coach Valdas Urbonas.[11] Together, they won domestic double in 2011 season, the Supercup and A Lyga titles in 2012 campaign, while also reaching the domestic cup final, where they lost to Žalgiris after penalties, and also placed 3rd in 2013. After Urbonas' resignation, he became head coach of the team. Despite scarce resources, he managed to place sixth in the 2014 season, even though this did not help the club, and it was forced to declare bankruptcy after the season had ended. He also managed the Lithuania under-19 team between 2011 and 2012.

Žalgiris

On 17 December 2014, Dambrauskas became new head coach of Lithuanian champions Žalgiris.[12] Together with the team, he managed to win every domestic title until 2017, including a domestic quadruple in 2016 season.[13][14][15] Žalgiris' winning streak finally came to an end on 24 September 2017 when they lost the Lithuanian Football Cup Final to Stumbras.[16] After that defeat, the club's morale was broken; they failed to win any of the following league games, and were overtaken by Sūduva after a 0–3 defeat in Marijampolė.[17][18] This was Žalgiris' first league defeat by three goals since the 2010 season.[19]

Due to these defeats, Dambrauskas decided to resign on 23 October 2017.[20][21]

RFS

Dambrauskas was appointed manager of Latvian Higher League side RFS on 6 December 2017.[22]

Gorica

On 25 February 2020, Dambrauskas joined Croatian First Football League side HNK Gorica as their new manager.[23] On 3 January 2021, Dambrauskas, together with the club's sporting director Mindaugas Nikoličius, left Gorica.[24]

Ludogorets Razgrad

On the day of his departure from Gorica, Dambrauskas was appointed as the head coach of Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad.[25] In early October 2021, Dambrauskas parted ways with the team.[26]

Omonia

On 29 February 2024, Dambrauskas was appointed head coach of Cypriot First Division club Omonia Nicosia starting from the 2024–25 season.[27] He left the club by mutual consent on 29 November 2024, following a 0–3 UEFA Conference League defeat against Legia Warsaw.[28]

Diósgyőr

On 26 February 2025, he was appointed manager of Diósgyőr.[29][30][31] He debuted with a 2–1 league victory over Puskás Akadémia at Diósgyőri Stadion on 1 March 2025.[32]

Sabah

On 20 June 2025, Dambrauskas was appointed head coach of Sabah in the Azerbaijan Premier League, signing a three-year contract.[33] In 2026, Sabah were crowned the Azerbaijan Premier League champions and won the Azerbaijan Cup, completing the domestic double under Dambrauskas' management.[34] On 25 August 2026, Sabah reached the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time in the club's history after defeating Hapoel Be'er Sheva 6–4 on aggregate in the play-off round.[35]

Personal life

Dambrauskas is married to Ingrida, and they have two sons, Lukas and Midas.[36]

Outside football, Dambrauskas has a strong interest in chess. He has said that he has played chess more than football and that the game helped him develop emotional control, particularly in dealing with victories and defeats.[37] He played for a club in Panevėžys while managing Ekranas and participated in the Lithuanian rapid chess championship.[38]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 26 August 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat. From To Record Ref.
PWDLWin %
Ekranas Lithuania 26 April 2013 19 September 2014 60301119050.00
Žalgiris Lithuania 17 December 2014 23 October 2017 124921517074.19 [20]
RFS Latvia 6 December 2017 24 February 2020 6942918060.87
Gorica Croatia 25 February 2020 3 January 2021 301686053.33
Ludogorets Razgrad Bulgaria 3 January 2021 3 October 2021 402668065.00
Hajduk Split Croatia 2 November 2021 12 September 2022 382387060.53 [39]
OFI Greece 25 October 2022 9 December 2023 57321411056.14
Omonia Cyprus 1 June 2024 29 September 2024 211317061.90
Diósgyőr Hungary 26 February 2025 30 June 2025 12345025.00
Sabah Azerbaijan 1 July 2025 Present 5235116067.31
Total 48729983105061.40 —

Honours

Managerial

Žalgiris

RFS

Ludogorets Razgrad

Hajduk Split

Sabah

Individual

  • Active Westminster Awards Active Coach: 2010[9]
  • A Lyga Manager of the Round: 2016 3rd round,[41] 2017 1st round[42]
  • Lithuanian Coach of the Year: 2016,[43] 2020, 2021

References

  1. 1 2 "Kemény gyerekkor után álomnyeremény: így tanulta meg a DVTK edzője, hogy sosem szabad veszíteni". boon.hu (in Hungarian). 4 April 2025. Archived from the original on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Shumanov, Metodi (January 2022). "The Quiz Show Boss". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "A Legyen Ön is milliomos!-ban nyert pénzből kezdte meg edzői tanulmányait a DVTK új mestere". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 25 February 2025. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Valdas Dambrauskas – futbolo tėvynės patirtis Lietuvos čempionų Panevėžio „Ekrano" ekipai". 15min (in Lithuanian). 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Vilniaus „Žalgirio" treneriu tapo V. Dambrauskas". LRT (in Lithuanian). 8 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Laboratorium Dextera. Jak Valdas Dambrauskas uzdrowił Hajduka". Weszło (in Polish). 30 August 2022. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Sprendimas dėl Pakruojo rajono savivaldybės garbės ambasadoriaus vardo suteikimo". Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas (in Lithuanian). 2022.
  8. ↑ "Farewell to Valdas Dambrauskas". FC London Tigers. 19 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Lietuvio trenerio darbas Anglijoje įvertintas apdovanojimu" (in Lithuanian). LFF. 29 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Į Nacionalinę futbolo akademiją ir U-17 rinktinę priimtas naujas futbolo specialistas" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 28 August 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Valdas Dambrauskas – futbolo tėvynės patirtis Lietuvos čempionų Panevėžio "Ekrano" ekipai". 15min (in Lithuanian). 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "Čempionai turi naują vedlį" (in Lithuanian). FK Žalgiris. 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  13. ↑ ""Žalgiris-2016". The year of triumph". FK Žalgiris. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  14. ↑ Januška, Vaidotas (18 January 2016). ""Žalgirio" treneris Valdas Dambrauskas svajoja užkariauti Europą". Lietuvos rytas (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Kontrimas, Justas (7 November 2016). "Savaitės interviu: pokalbis su V.Dambrausku apie karjerą, futbolo filosofiją ir knygas". Ivartis.net (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  16. ↑ ""Stumbras" vienu smūgiu nutraukė "Žalgirio" dominavimą ir iškovojo LFF taurę". 15min (in Lithuanian). 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  17. ↑ ""Sūduva" matuojasi favoritų marškinėlius" (in Lithuanian). FK Žalgiris. 20 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  18. ↑ ""Sūduva" sutriuškino "Žalgirį" ir kyla į pirmąją vietą" (in Lithuanian). A Lyga. 22 October 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  19. ↑ Bagdonas, Marius (23 October 2017). "Į bedugnę smingančio "Žalgirio" va bank: ar trenerio atleidimas gali išgelbėti sezoną?". 15min (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Prieš lemiamas kovas "Žalgiris" ryžosi permainoms" (in Lithuanian). FK Žalgiris. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  21. ↑ Butautas, Ingvaras (24 October 2017). "V. Dambrauskas: "Išėjau iš "Žalgirio" pats"". Sportas.info (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "Esam panākuši vienošanos ar jauno RFS galveno treneri - Valdas Dambrauskas !". Facebook. FK RFS. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  23. ↑ "Poznat je novi trener hita HNL-a". Sportske Novosti. 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  24. ↑ "Mindaugas Nikoličius i Valdas Dambrauskas odlaze iz HNK Gorice" [Mindaugas Nikoličius and Valdas Dambrauskas leave HNK Gorica]. hnk-gorica.hr (in Croatian). 3 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  25. ↑ "Литовец е новият треньор на Лудогорец" [A Lithuanian is the new coach of Ludogorets] (in Bulgarian). 3 January 2021. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  26. ↑ Kichukov, Simeon (5 October 2021). "Валдас Дамбраускас - поредният войник, който не успя да стане генерал в "Лудогорец"" [Valdas Dambrauskas - another soldier who was not able to become a general at Ludogorets] (in Bulgarian). dnevnik.bg. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  27. ↑ OmonoiaFC (29 February 2024). "Προπονητής της ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑΣ ο κ. Valdas Dambrauskas!". Omonoia FC (in Greek). Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Galiński, Tomasz (29 November 2024). "Pracował niecałe pół roku. Został zwolniony po meczu z Legią". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  29. ↑ "Valdas Dambrauskas a DVTK új vezetőedzője – hivatalos". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 26 February 2025. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  30. ↑ "Összeállt a DVTK edzői stábja – másodedzőt és kapusedzőt is hozott magával Valdas Dambrauskas". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 26 February 2025. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  31. ↑ "Valdas Dambrauskas a DVTK vezetőedzője" [Valdas Dambrauskas is the head coach of DVTK]. dvtk.eu. Diósgyőri VTK Official Website. 26 February 2025. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  32. ↑ "Új edző jól seper: a Diósgyőr legyőzte az élen álló Puskás Akadémiát". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 1 March 2025. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  33. ↑ FC, Sabah. "Xoş gəldin, Valdas Dambrauskas!". sabahfc.az. Archived from the original on 14 August 2026. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  34. 1 2 Ismayilova, Laman (14 May 2026). "'Sabah' enters Azerbaijani football history with Premier League and Cup triumph". offsideplus.az. Archived from the original on 19 August 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  35. ↑ ""SABAH" ÇEMPİONLAR LİQASINDA!". Apasport.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Valdas Dambrauskas: „Žalgiryje" spaudimą jaučiu visą laiką". 15min (in Lithuanian). 2017. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Hajdukov trener veliki je šahist i kvizoman: pripremili smo mu kviz o Hrvatima i briljirao je..." 24sata (in Croatian). 3 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Naujienos - Šachmatai Lietuvoje". Šachmatai Lietuvoje (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Valdas Dambrauskas No Longer Coach of Hajduk Split". Total Croatia News. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  40. ↑ "9-cu çempion: 18 ildə ilk". pfl.az (in Azerbaijani). 30 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  41. ↑ ""Žalgirio" duetas – geriausias trečiame rate". Alyga.lt (in Lithuanian). 25 August 2016. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  42. ↑ Piečytė, Meda (30 April 2017). "Apdovanoti I rato geriausieji" (in Lithuanian). A Lyga. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  43. ↑ "Metų žaidėju išrinktas F. Černychas" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.