5 things you didn’t know about Sabah FK

Manchester United’s three-season absence from the Champions League ends on Thursday night as Michael Carrick’s side welcome Sabah FK to Old Trafford.

United have not competed in Europe’s premier competition since finishing bottom of their group under Erik ten Hag in December 2023.

After securing their return last season, the Red Devils will begin the league phase against one of the most unfamiliar opponents they could have drawn.

Supporters may view the Azerbaijani champions as favourable opposition, especially compared to Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Roma, who United will encounter later in the competition.

However, Sabah’s extraordinary rise means there is far more to Thursday’s visitors than their relatively unknown name suggests.

Here are five things United supporters should know about their first Champions League opponents.

1. Sabah are only nine years old

Sabah were founded on September 8, 2017, meaning the club celebrated their ninth birthday just two days before walking out at Old Trafford.

To put that into perspective, United had already won three European Cups, 20 league titles and 12 FA Cups before Sabah played their first competitive match.

Their rise began in unusual circumstances.

Sabah finished fifth during their first season in the Azerbaijani second tier but were promoted because each of the four clubs above them failed to obtain, or declined, the necessary licence to enter the Premier League.

Sabah were offered the place instead and have since transformed themselves from top-flight newcomers into Azerbaijani champions.

2. This is their first Champions League appearance

Thursday’s match will be the first Champions League league-phase fixture in Sabah’s history.

While United qualified directly for the competition, the Azerbaijani side had to survive four separate qualifying rounds to earn their visit to Old Trafford.

Their journey began on July 7 and included victories over Welsh champions The New Saints, Finnish side KuPS and AGF Aarhus.

The most dramatic moment came during their play-off against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

Sabah lost the opening leg 2-1 and fell behind again in the return fixture, but recovered to force extra time before winning 5-2 and progressing 6-4 on aggregate.

They became the only club entering in the first qualifying round to reach this season’s league phase.

3. Their manager funded his coaching career through a TV quiz show

Valdas Dambrauskas took a route into management that very few coaches could replicate.

The Lithuanian never played professional football but knew from a young age that he wanted to become a coach.

His ambitions brought him onto the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2002, where he won 4,000 litas, approximately £1,000 at the time.

Rather than spending the money at home, Dambrauskas used his winnings to help fund his move to England.

He studied sports science and coaching at London Metropolitan University while beginning the long journey that would eventually take him into professional management.

4. Dambrauskas previously worked with Manchester United

The Sabah manager will not be encountering Manchester United for the first time when he walks into Old Trafford.

After moving to England to pursue his coaching qualifications, Dambrauskas worked across several youth academies and was hired by Manchester United Soccer Schools in 2004.

He also gained experience with Fulham and Brentford while developing his career in English football.

Dambrauskas later managed London Tigers before returning to Eastern Europe, where he won trophies in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Croatia.

More than two decades after working within United’s international coaching programme, he will now return as the manager attempting to defeat them in the Champions League.

5. They ended Qarabag’s dominance of Azerbaijan

Sabah earned their Champions League place by winning the first Azerbaijani Premier League title in their history last season.

The achievement was particularly significant because Qarabag had won 10 of the previous 11 championships, establishing themselves as Azerbaijan’s dominant force.

Sabah had already demonstrated their ability to challenge that order by winning the Azerbaijani Cup in 2024/25, their first major trophy.

One year later, they went further by taking Qarabag’s league crown and becoming only the second Azerbaijani club to reach the Champions League proper.

United should win on Thursday, but Sabah have already overturned the established order domestically and survived four European qualifying rounds.

Their journey from Azerbaijan’s second tier to Old Trafford has taken less than nine years, and they have very little to lose when they step onto European football’s biggest stage.