Sign up for our free sports newsletter to get the latest news from cycling to boxing
Sign up for our free sports email to get the latest news
Former US men’s national team soccer coach Gregg Berhalter has expressed his “sadness” over revelations that he kicked his wife-to-be in 1991 and subsequent allegations of racketeering that surfaced at the end of the contract.
The USMNT appointed Anthony Hudson as their interim head coach for the upcoming camp and January friendlies after Berhalter’s contract expired in late 2022.
The team announced in late 2022 that its “full review of the USMNT program following the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup” was still ongoing.
Berhalter led the team to the 2022 World Cup, where they ended up losing to the Netherlands in the round of 16.
The coaching change came during a turbulent time in Berhalter’s personal life, after CNN reported that in 1991 he was forced to admit to “kicking his wife” Ms Danielle, who allegedly wanted revenge on him for stating their son Gio would be at play a limited role in the Qatar Games.
In his first interview with the Harvard Business Review on Thursday, Berhalter said: “I find it sad. Our whole family is saddened by these events. It’s something we want to move forward from. The worst part for me is that my heart aches for my wife. It was her story to tell.”
He previously discussed the domestic violence incident and the alleged blackmail plot in a lengthy message posted to his personal Twitter account.
‘[…] I am sharing this story after 31 years because it is important to understand that it was an event that shaped me but does not define me,” he wrote in the statement. “It was a single, isolated event over three decades ago and a horrible decision by an 18-year-old at a bad moment. Rosalind and I have been on an amazing journey together.”
Ms Reyna claimed that while she alerted US Soccer to the alleged domestic violence, she made no threats to Berhalter, according to ESPN.
“To be clear, I called [US Soccer sporting director] Earnie Stewart on December 11, shortly after it was revealed that Gregg had made negative statements about my son Gio at a leadership conference,” she said in a statement Wednesday.
Berhalter said he was considering sending home a player during the conference who “clearly failed to live up to expectations on and off the pitch”. This player was later revealed to be the younger Reyna, after Tom Bogert from MLBSoccer.com.
“I’ve known Earnie for years and consider him a close friend. I wanted him to know that I was absolutely outraged and devastated that Gio was put in such a terrible position and felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family has considered a friend for decades.” said Ms. Reyna.
She further claimed that Berhalter’s statement “significantly minimized the abuse on the night in question” and said the coach’s wife, Rosalind, was her roommate, teammate and best friend.
Reyna also denied sending threatening messages, according to ESPN.
“While in Qatar I shared my frustration with my son’s World Cup experience with a few close friends including Earnie and Brian McBride. However, at no point have I ever threatened anyone and never would,” he said in a statement.
US Soccer is investigating the incident through a third party and evaluating Mr. Berhalter’s performance during the 2022 World Cup.