27/08/2026
⚽️UEFA Futsal Champions League :
🇮🇪Blue Magic FC - 🇬🇧Genesis London 4:7
Scored BM : Byrne 2, Beraldo, Gustavo
🔵⚽️Blue Magic suffered an opening day defeat going down 7-4 to Genesis of London in their opening game of three in the UEFA Futsal Champions League in Athens this afternoon.
🇬🇧Genesis, making their Champions League debut, made a mockery of their fourth seed ranking to outscore and out muscle the FAI Champions in a fiercely competitive match at the DAIS Hall.
Things had looked a tad different when skipper Ian Byrne fired the AUL side in front in the third minute but Sinisa Sicar's side were unable to build on that early advantage.
⚽️Insead, Genesis hit back to take the lead through goals from Eduardo Antonio Tijerin Lopez in the seventh minute and one from defender Calvin Dickson in the 12th minute.
🔵Blue Magic were seeing plenty of possession but found sights of goal at a premium as a well set-up Genesis defended very aggressively. That physicality saw the fouls mount up and were on a five foul count within 10 minutes of the opening half, but they managed well shutting down many of Blue Magic's attacks - while several challenges went unpunished by match official Ingus Purins of Latvia and Albanian Albano Stolaj - much to the frustration of Blue Magic.
⚽️Gustavo Pereira da Silva however levelled for the Irish side with a spectacular volley from inside his own net with the Genesis netminder out of position.
Byrne, Minatti and Leonardes all had efforts on the Genesis goal but In the final seconds of the half Eduardo Amorin gave the Londoners an advantage that would ultimately, not lose.
⚽️Blue Magic enjoyed much more possession in the second period and Matheus Minatti, Matheus Leonardes and Victor Calderon all had efforts saved by goalkeeper Ruda Orozco.
Two goals in a minute however left Blue Magic with a mountain to climb as Ivan Cadete-Borges and Eduardo Antonio Tijerin Lopez in the 26th minute gave Genesis 5-2 advantage.
Genesis then had Diogo da Silva red carded in the 29th minute and although Blue Magic dominated with the extra man, Genesis held firm for the two minutes before being restored to the full complement.
⚽️Johnathan Beraldo gave the FAI Futsal Champions some hope, reducing the score to 5-3 in the 32nd minute and skipper Byrne weighed in with his second in the 34th minute to reduce the score to 5-4 to set up what we hoped was a late, late Blue Magic rally.
Coach Sinisa Sicar went to a fly-keeper in a five man press as Victor Calderon replaced Guilherme Cardoso in an effort to chase down the Genesis advantage. On the counter Cardoso was back in goal but Angel Antelo Martinez's angled shot flew past the goalkeeper to give the English side a two goal advantage.
Back came Blue Magic with Calderon as a fly keeper but after Gabriel Saldahna and Beraldo had efforts blocked down, the ball fell kindly for the English champions and Genesis broke clear ,and, with an open goal, Eduardo Antonio Tijerin Lopez stroked the ball home into the empty net to seal Genesis' success.
🔵Blue Magic are back in action today when they face Sparta Belfast at the same venue. Sparta lost their opening game to the hosts Doukas on a three-nil scoreline and tomorrow's game, in reality, is a must win game for the Athletic Union League side who will include Gabriel Yan micoski who sat out today's game as a result of a one game ban carried over from last year's campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
🧊🧊ICE COLD IN ATHENS - BUT IT'S 38 DEGRESS OUTSIDE 🌞🌞
🛀WITH under 24 hours before Blue Magic's next encounter against Sparta Belfast, the Blue Magic squad were straight into ice baths on return to their Athens Venue Hotel.
Under the supervision of physios Marcello Vargas, Alexandr Doloscan and Tobiasz Malara Oleszek every member of the squad had to endure a chilling dip in an ice-bath in an effort to adi muscle recovery.
📸 🗞️Eamon Scott / Striker Online
