During the last World Cup, young Gio Reyna’s limited playing time unleashed a saga for the American team, the magnitude of which nobody could have foreseen and which finally came to an end on Monday.
To understand this, one must first know that the US team’s head coach during the tournament, Gregg Berhalter, was a good friend of young Reyna’s parents, whose father is Claudio Reyna, a former player.
All of which brings us to December 11, when Claudio and his wife Danielle are on the phone with Football Association Athletic Director Earnie Stewart.
The couple confide in him that Gregg Berhalter was involved in an incident of domestic violence with his then-partner Rosalind Santana. She has gone by the name Rosalind Berhalter for more than twenty years and is Gregg’s wife.
That revelation sparked an investigation by law firm Alston & Bird, the findings of which emerged in a report published on Monday. This relieves Berhalter and lifts the veil over the dark side of the Reyna family.
incident
So let’s rewind the tape 30 years to 1992, when Gregg Berhalter was a freshman at the University of North Carolina, where he also played football for the school’s Tar Heels team. On a drunken night, he argues with his girlfriend.
Even before the investigation was opened, Berhalter himself disclosed the details of the incident in a very commendable transparency campaign.
In the report submitted by Alston & Bird, there is a version that is consistent with the version submitted by Berhalter last January.
“The couple are at a bar and the drinks are piling up when they start arguing. Then they leave the establishment and the argument continues. Outside, Ms. Berhalter punches Mr. Berhalter in the face, he pushes her, she falls to the ground and he kicks her twice,” the report said.
Berhalter is then pinned to the ground by passers-by. He quickly realizes his mistake, confesses what he did to his coach, seeks psychological help, and the pair reconcile seven months later.
AFP
Gregg Berhalter, USA’s head coach at the last World Cup.
intimidation
The report thus exonerates Berhalter and while the Reynas also get away with it, the report reveals Claudio Reyna’s tendency to interfere in the affairs of the American FA when things are not going well for him, particularly when it comes to his children.
According to a person not named in the report, his behavior was described as “inappropriate,” “intimidating,” and “meaningful.”
It all started in 2016 when his son Gio, who is now a member of Borussia Dortmund, was part of the federation’s youth teams and played for the New York City FC academy.
Claudio Reyna initially complained about the presence of a woman in a quartet of referees. “Can we be serious and have a man referee a game like this,” he wrote in an email. He also complains about the Under-17 coach, Raphaël Wicky. “He’s the worst coach,” he wrote at the time.
“When things don’t go well for Gio, the Reynas turn around and go into attack mode,” Greg Berhalter told investigators leading the case. Then he talks about a couple of friends whose way of working he knows well.
turning point
Back in December 2022. Even if the Reynas are unhappy with their son’s playing time in Qatar, everything seems to be back to normal after the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
On the way back, Gregg Berhalter stops in New York to attend a HOW Institute for Society summit. In what he considers casual conversation, he tells the story of a player he almost sent home for his behavior during the World Cup. He doesn’t name names, but a few hours later it’s confirmed to be Reyna. It is then December 11th.
In the report, we learn that following those comments, Claudio Reyna sent a series of text messages to Earnie Stewart, and that the couple then had Reyna an hour-long phone call with Stewart, during which he revealed the 1992 incident.
Stewart immediately reported the allegations to the United States Soccer Federation, which prompted an investigation by Alston & Bird.
jeopardized future
The behavior of the Reyna couple, who are likely no longer friends with the Berhalter family, has certainly jeopardized Gregg’s career.
His contract with the men’s national team expired on December 31 and he was expected to lead the team to the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The federation stated that he was still one of the candidates as it did not withhold information about the 1992 incident. Meanwhile, Earnie Stewart, who hired him in 2018, made his way from the Netherlands, where he took a job at PSV Eindhoven.
In a statement released on Monday, the federation said the recruitment process to replace Stewart as sporting director was underway.
Gregg Berhalter’s career is on hold. At least for now.