Manchester United were handed some familiar Champions League names in Thursday’s draw, but Sabah FC will be the opponent most supporters know least about.
The Azerbaijani champions will visit Old Trafford during the 2026/27 league phase after completing a remarkable journey through four rounds of qualifying.
ReadManUtd covered United’s full eight-opponent Champions League draw on Thursday, with Bayern Munich, Roma and RB Leipzig also heading to Manchester.
Sabah, however, have one of the most unusual stories in the competition.
Who are Sabah FC?
Sabah are an Azerbaijani club founded as recently as 8 September 2017.
They began life in the country’s second tier before entering the Azerbaijan Premier League in 2018/19 and have risen rapidly since.
The breakthrough came last season.
Sabah’s official club history confirms they won the Azerbaijani Premier League for the first time in 2025/26, securing the title with four matches remaining before beating Zira 2-1 in the cup final to complete a domestic double.
Their home is the Bank Respublika Arena in Masazir, which holds approximately 8,700 supporters. The stadium has hosted Sabah’s domestic and European fixtures since their rise into the top flight.
United will not have to travel there, though.
UEFA’s official draw confirms Sabah will play Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Sabah survived four Champions League qualifying rounds
Their route to the league phase is arguably more impressive than their domestic rise.
Sabah entered the Champions League in the first qualifying round and had to survive four two-legged ties.
They beat Welsh champions The New Saints 4-1 on aggregate, then defeated Finnish side KuPS 3-0 before overcoming Aarhus.
Their final hurdle produced the biggest night in the club’s short history.
Sabah lost 2-1 away against Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of the play-off before winning the return 5-2 after extra time, completing a 6-4 aggregate victory.
UEFA confirms Sabah are competing in the Champions League league phase for the first time.
Forward Veljko Simić has been one of their standout performers, scoring six times across eight Champions League qualifying appearances.
Sabah manager has a Man Utd connection
The most interesting United connection comes in the dugout.
Sabah are managed by Lithuanian coach Valdas Dambrauskas, who took charge in June 2025 and led them to the league and cup double during his first season.
His route into coaching is unusual.
Dambrauskas used winnings from the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to help fund his move to England, where he studied Sport Science and Coaching at London Metropolitan University.
During his development as a coach he gained experience with youth academies including Manchester United, Fulham and Brentford before beginning his senior managerial career.
He has since managed clubs across Europe, including Ludogorets and Hajduk Split, before joining Sabah on a three-year contract last summer.
Now his extraordinary coaching journey will take him back to Manchester.
Sabah’s overall Champions League draw is brutal. Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Slavia Prague will travel to Azerbaijan, while Dambrauskas’ side visit United, Arsenal, Villarreal and Viking.
Michael Carrick‘s side will be overwhelming favourites when the teams meet at Old Trafford, but Sabah have already demonstrated this summer that they are capable of upsetting expectations.
