Valdas Dambrauskas has taken an unconventional route to the top, but it is evident that he is living his dreams ahead of facing Manchester United.
Once again, European football is set to deliver a remarkable human-interest story in the UEFA Champions League game between Azerbaijani outfit Sabah FK and the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
The Premier League side are back in the competition after missing out on two successive editions of the competition, and their first game is on home soil at Old Trafford.
A coach who got his break after winning the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Dambrauskas will lead his side out at the Theatre of Dreams in what will be a milestone moment for the Lithuanian tactician and his young club.
Who is Valdas Dambrauskas?
This week's UEFA Champions League will deliver a full-circle moment when Sabah step onto the pitch to take on Manchester United.
The club, founded in 2017, had to win four knockout ties to reach the league phase of the Champions League this season. The architect of their success? Coach Valdas Dambrauskas.
Dambrauskas' journey to Champions League football reads like a film script.
The 49-year-old's journey officially began in 2002, even though he had known that he wanted to be in football since he was a child.
In 2002, he got on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and won 4,000 Litas, equivalent to about £725. It was not much, but it represented six months' wages to the average Lithuanian.
With this money, he told BBC Sport, he was able to begin his coaching badges in the UK as a 25-year-old immigrant.
"This is so long ago. A back-in-the-year story that really was forgotten. And now suddenly everybody is speaking about this."
"Everybody now takes only this part, you know, about the money. But yes, it is a true story.
"My idea was somehow I will try to go on these [coaching] courses to gain the coaching badge, maybe go back one day to Lithuania and start to work as a football coach," he said.
His time in the UK took him to the Manchester United Soccer Schools, where he got his first break at a professional club in 2004.
Speaking about the feeling of facing the Red Devils at Old Trafford, he pointed out that he never imagined the possibility, stating that he has been at the stadium with his family on multiple occasions in the past.
"This is beyond my imagination. To go through that tunnel on to that pitch. I've been many times to Old Trafford with the kids, and now I'm going to come as a coach."
Dambrauskas returned to Lithuania in 2010 to begin his coaching career, starting at Zalgiris Vilnius, Lithuania's biggest club, in 2014.
His journey had taken him to Latvia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, and Hungary before he landed in Azerbaijan last summer.
In keeping with his career achievements, he led Sabah FK to the league and cup double in his first season, their first-ever titles.
David vs Goliath: Sabah FK’s Tactical Challenge at the Theatre of Dreams
Throughout the qualification rounds for this season's UEFA Champions League, Sabah FK have shown significant grit and a never-say-die attitude.
They overcame Welsh club TNS, Finland's KuPS, Danish side Aarhus and Israel's Hapoel Beer-Sheva to make it thus far.
Their first game in the competition proper will pit them against Michael Carrick's three-time winners and their superstar roster.
This match-up will pose the greatest tactical test in the history of the Azerbaijani outfit.
To stay competitive against United's high-octane attack, Sabah will need flawless positional discipline and sharp execution on set pieces.
Dambrauskas will have watched closely how Hull City bested the Red Devils using the above framework, and will look to have his team execute a similar game plan.
Sabah will hope to emulate the likes of Istanbul Basaksehir and FC Sheriff Tiraspol, both of whom claimed significant scalps on their debut in the competition.
Regardless of the final scoreline at Old Trafford, the fixture marks a historic night for the Masazir-based club on the European stage.
