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Questions arose, recently, about the biases of one of world soccer’s most popular information sites, Goal.com. Specifically on whether it’s used as a mouthpiece for clubs and players in South America without any even handed treatment of the facts.

Take the case of Gregory Sica’s article on Brazillian Marcio Amoroso’s problems in Greece:

Former Brazilian international Marcio Amoroso dos Santos claimed that his house in the Greek city of Salonika was ransacked by the directors of Aris Salonika, his former club.

Amoroso, 34, arrived at the Greek club in the pursuit of titles in January 2008, but at the end of June he terminated his contract in protest of three months of delayed wages. He then advised FIFA about the situation and pressed charges against the club.

This didnt go down well for the Aris directors, and their reaction was to invade his house and confiscate objects with a value of close to 300,000 euros, said the player in declarations to Globoesporte.

“Marco Aurelio Aris defender, Thiago Gentil midfielder and Wellerson goalkeeper trainer called me this week to tell me that the Aris directors broke into my house and took some of my personal belongings without my authorization,” explained Amoroso.

According to the player, the directors “took” six watches, two files, his wifes jewelry, and video games that belonged to his kids. “From one hour to the next, I lost 300,000 euros,” stated the striker.

The Brazilian admitted that he is afraid to return to Greece to solve the situation: “The worst thing is that I cant recover the stolen items. Im afraid of returning to Greece and suffering further loses from the directors, because they can put the people against me. My kids are traumatized, they are receiving psychological help after all of this.”

A harrowing tale when told by a player looking to get publicity for his cause. The problem is that none of it has been verified.

According to sources familiar with the situation, when Amoroso came to the team he wouldn’t train and wouldn’t play. He lost a labor case and has been ordered to pay money back to the club for neglecting his duties, according to the European courts. When he decided to leave the country and never return for training (even though he had a contract) he never bothered to empty the apartment the team was renting for him. It was emptied by the team and a court representative, who took his belongings under court order as the dwelling had to be rented to someone else.

One source commented, “Aris is one of the incredibly few reliable and respectable clubs in Greece, and that is for the world to know. If Amoroso thought he would get the treatment he expected from Olympiacos or Paok or panionios, he has another think coming.”

Amoroso has had problems in the past working with teams. Borussia Dortmund cut ties with him in 2004 after tiring of his act. At age 35, Amoroso is probably coming close to the end of his career. One can only speculate if this frustration as well as his history is behind his wild claims.

At this time, it is not known if Goal.com’s Sica will post a retraction or a clarification of the alleged facts in the story.

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