In an interview with “Flashscore,” a specialist from Pakruojis shared his unusual path to becoming a coach, his approach to football, and the season in which his team “Sabah” ended the long-standing dominance of “Qarabag” in Azerbaijan.
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In Lithuania, it has often been recalled that one of the pushes for V. Dambrauskas to move to England was his participation in the TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. The coach himself does not put much emphasis on this story.
“I came to the show to compete and have a good time. When I realized at twelve that I would not become a professional footballer, I already knew I wanted to be a football coach,” the Lithuanian said.
The opportunity to move to England came a bit later. V. Dambrauskas does not hide that he was also looking for a better life when leaving, but at the same time, he already had a very specific professional goal.
“I can’t say what would have happened if I hadn’t participated in that show. But I believe I would have found another way to fulfill my dream,” he said.
In England, everything started from the very bottom. First, he had to learn the language, later V. Dambrauskas completed first and second level coaching courses, began working in youth football, and looked for opportunities in professional and semi-professional club academies.
Later, the Lithuanian studied sports science and coaching at university, attended coaching conferences and courses, and gradually laid out a plan on how to enter professional football.
“I knew it would be very difficult for me in England. But I believed I would get an opportunity in my own country,” V. Dambrauskas recalled.
Coaching work – much more than tactics
V. Dambrauskas belongs to a still relatively small group of coaches who have reached the highest level without having professional football playing experience.
However, the Lithuanian does not think this automatically gives any advantage. On the contrary – according to him, former professional footballers have many privileges at the start of their coaching careers.
“They have connections, dressing room experience, and players’ respect. But over many years, the coaching profession has changed a lot,” he explained.
According to V. Dambrauskas, the work of a modern coach has long since gone beyond drawing tactical schemes or giving speeches in the dressing room.
A coach must understand physical training, human physiology and psychology, comprehend management, financial and administrative processes, be able to organize work, communicate, and analyze. Sometimes, in V. Dambrauskas’s words, even acting skills come in handy.
He considers emotional intelligence one of the most important tools for a coach.
“I think some former footballers who become coaches immediately after ending their careers initially do not realize all these duties. Those who did not play professionally have to compensate for this by constant learning and improvement. I still work every day to become better. My biggest fear is to stop learning and improving,” the Lithuanian said.
Ideal match – 4:3
V. Dambrauskas’s teams throughout his career have mostly been associated with active, bold, and attacking football. The coach himself can sum up his philosophy in one word.
Dominance.
“I like scoring goals. I’m not afraid to take risks,” the strategist said.
And he imagines ideal matches quite specifically.
“My ideal result would be a 4:3 victory, where four different players score four goals and four different players make assists. Can you imagine the dressing room after such a match?” the coach asked rhetorically.
Over many years, his football authorities have changed. At one point, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, Marcelo Bielsa, and Ralf Rangnick made a big impression on him.
However, V. Dambrauskas looks for ideas not only in football.
“I learn a lot from other sports – especially basketball, American football, rugby, and ice hockey. Sometimes it seems I get even more ideas from other sports than from football,” he said.
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Earlier, the Lithuanian was sometimes labeled the “Lithuanian Mourinho,” but V. Dambrauskas himself views this quite calmly.
“I don’t think this nickname was ever very widespread. Maybe they called me that before. Probably because neither I nor Jose Mourinho had a serious professional football playing career,” he reflected.
First and foremost – a person
During his career, Dambrauskas has worked in Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and other countries. According to him, such experience changed not only his approach to football.
“Working in different countries, different traditions, and environments is the greatest gift football has given me. It has enriched me both as a person and as a coach,” V. Dambrauskas said.
That is why now, leading the multinational “Sabah” team, he tries first to understand the person.
“It is impossible to coach a player without understanding him. Previously, coaches tried to keep a certain distance from footballers. My philosophy is the opposite – to be as close to them as possible,” the Lithuanian explained.
The year that was hard to imagine
Last season was historic for V. Dambrauskas and “Sabah”.
The club, founded only in 2017, ended “Qarabag’s” dominance in the Azerbaijani championship, won the national cup, and later broke through to the Champions League group stage.
“It was truly an incredible year,” the coach admitted.
V. Dambrauskas emphasized that the “Sabah” triumph cannot be separated from “Qarabag,” which had been the standard of Azerbaijani football for many years.
“In the last 13 years, they have become national champions twelve times and played in European tournaments for thirteen consecutive seasons. We learned from them. They made us stronger,” the Lithuanian is convinced.
He described every match against “Qarabag” as a top-level exam in tactics, psychology, and technique.
“Every game with them was like university studies for me. I learned a lot from them,” V. Dambrauskas said.
The Lithuanian is convinced that the rise of “Sabah” should also help Azerbaijani football as a whole. Ambitions are not lacking not only for the two strongest clubs – “Zira,” “Turan Tovuz,” and Baku “Neftchi” are increasingly talking about top places.
“I think increasing competition will only benefit Azerbaijani football. I believe the future of the championship is good,” the coach said.
Champions League – a chance to test themselves
Now “Sabah” faces a completely new stage.
The club will play in the Champions League group stage for the first time in its history, and V. Dambrauskas sees this not only as a reward for last season’s work.
“First of all, we want to test ourselves and compete with the best. It’s not only excitement but also a huge responsibility and opportunity,” the Lithuanian said.
According to him, matches at the highest level of European football are an opportunity to grow not only for players or coaches but also for the entire still young club.
“The Champions League is very important for the club’s development. We can grow both individually and as a team. We want to make the most of this opportunity,” the strategist said.
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