US men’s national soccer team coach Gregg Berhalter has claimed he was blackmailed during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – and forced to go public for kicking his wife in 1991.
The manager, whose contract expired after last month’s tournament, has clarified some personal information “which a third party used against my family and me”.
In a lengthy statement published on his Twitter profile on Tuesday, Berhalter discussed a violent incident in 1991 involving his wife, Rosalind, and admitted to “kicking her in the legs” during an argument.
US coach Gregg Berhalter has claimed he was blackmailed during the World Cup in Qatar
Berhalter admitted to “kicking his wife Rosalind (left) in the legs” after an argument in 1991. The couple is pictured at the Oktoberfest in Munich in 2006
“While we obviously wanted to move forward with the World Cup, I’m very proud and grateful for all of our players, our staff, everyone at US Soccer and all of the USMNT fans worldwide who have supported us,” the post reads.
“Our performance was based on hard work and exceptional energy and dedication from those on and off the pitch during the years of preparation. There are so many positive examples of how our team has come together and made so many different kinds of sacrifices, all in pursuit of our group’s shared vision.
“I look forward to continuing my discussions with US Soccer about the future, but now is the time for me to publicly share some personal information that a third party has used against my family and me.”
Berhalter’s US soccer contract officially expired at the end of last month after the World Cup
Berhalter, who played defense for the United States between 1994 and 2006, made the information public to his 1,003 Twitter followers. His account is unconfirmed, but the statement has been corroborated by the US Football Association. The governor is also conducting investigations.
“During the World Cup, a person contacted US Soccer and said they had information about me that would ‘bring me down’ – an apparent attempt to use something very personal from long ago to mark the end of my relationship bring about US soccer. ‘ the post continued.
“This is a difficult step, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to speak the truth clearly and directly. This is a story that is ours, but hopefully there are lessons from our relationship that can be valuable to others.
“In the fall of 1991 I met my soul mate. I had just turned 18 and was a freshman in college when I first met Rosalind. It was a familiar feeling when we spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person – determined, insightful, fun to be around – and we bonded immediately.
“It felt like we had known each other for years. We had been together for four months when an incident took place between us that would shape the future of our relationship. One night Rosalind and I had a heated argument while having a drink at a local bar and walking outside. It got physical and I kicked her in the legs.
Berhalter released a statement on his Twitter profile Tuesday afternoon to clarify some “personal information that a third party has used against my family and me.”
“There are zero excuses for my actions that night; It was a shameful moment that I still regret to this day.
“I immediately apologized to Rosalind at the time, but understandably she didn’t want anything to do with me. I told my parents, family, and friends what had happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behavior.
“Rosalind also informed her parents, family and friends. Although the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought counseling to learn, grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions I have ever made. To date, this type of behavior has never been repeated.”
The 49-year-old New Jersey-born coach met Rosalind, also 49, at the University of North Carolina, where they both played soccer and began dating in 1991 before marrying eight years later. The couple reside in Lake View, Chicago and have four children.
“I was terrified of losing my soulmate and then seven months later, out of the blue, I got a call from Rosalind asking if we could talk in person. We met and talked about how we’ve grown and decided to rebuild our relationship.”
“Rosalind shared that her family was supportive of this decision and as we both processed what had happened, we realized that our love, trust and respect for one another was stronger than the incident that had happened months earlier.
“Since then, Rosalind and I have lived in five different countries and three different states and have met and remained friends with many wonderful people from all over the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together.
Berhalter and his wife hug after USA’s elimination from the World Cup on December 3rd
“The lessons learned from that night over three decades ago became the foundation for a loving, devoted and supportive relationship that we honored and celebrated with our 25th wedding anniversary this past weekend.
“I’m sharing this story after 31 years because it’s important to understand that it was an event that shaped me but didn’t define me. It was a single, isolated event over three decades ago and a terrible decision made at a bad moment by an 18-year-old. Rosalind and I have been on an amazing journey together.
“We raised four wonderful children who know what happened.
“We are very proud of our marriage, our relationship, the family we’ve built and the people we’ve become.
“As a team, we value accountability, honesty and growth. These are not just principles that we teach in the team; this is how i live my life. The foundation of any good team is to use the past as an opportunity to learn and get better.
“People can make mistakes and learn from them; People can also be forgiven for their mistakes. Luckily Rosalind has forgiven me. The intent of this statement is to provide transparency and to reaffirm that a single bad decision a teenager makes doesn’t necessarily define them for the rest of their lives. We will not hide from it. We didn’t do it then and we won’t do it now.
“This is our story. We have fully cooperated with the US Soccer Inquiry on this matter and while we would prefer not to discuss something so personal from such a long time in such a public forum, we take this opportunity to share what has shaped us and how much we have grown over the past 31 years and learned from it. Thank you very much.
‘Rosalind and Gregg Berhalter.’
Berhalter led the USMNT to the Round of 16 of the World Championship, but was eliminated by Holland
While Berhalter’s future with Team USA remains uncertain, US Soccer is still evaluating his performance in Qatar with a view to selecting a manager to lead the men’s side to the 2026 North American World Cup.
A statement Tuesday afternoon said: “After US Soccer learned of the allegation against US men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter on December 11, 2022, US Soccer immediately retained Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter . The investigation is being led by Jenny Kramer, BJay Pak and Chris Marquardt of Alston & Bird LLP and is ongoing.
“Through this process, US Soccer has learned of potentially inappropriate behavior towards several of our employees by individuals outside of our organization.
“We take such behavior seriously and have expanded our investigation into these allegations.
“We appreciate Gregg and Rosalind speaking openly about this incident. Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will publicly announce the results of the investigation upon completion. US Soccer condemns any form of violence and takes such allegations very seriously.
“Last month, US Soccer launched a full technical review of our men’s national team program. With the review and investigation ongoing, US Soccer will announce in the coming days who will headline the men’s national team camp in January. We look forward to building on the performance in Qatar and preparing for the journey towards 2026.”
Berhalter took charge of the USMNT in 2018 after beginning his coaching career with LA Galaxy in 2011. He worked for Hammarby IF in Sweden and MLS team Columbus Crew SC before moving into international football.