Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate for the vacant US head coach role after an independent investigation was released about his past behavior. Berhalter was in command of the USA in December when he was reported to the national team, before admitting to kicking his wife in 1992 a month later. An examination by law firm Alston and Bird, which was broadened to encompass any possibly inappropriate behavior in his employment, has found there is “no legal impediment to employing him”. Along with the study, US Soccer issued a statement saying, “Given the investigators’ conclusion, Gregg Berhalter remains a contender to serve as head coach of the Men’s National Team.”
After her son was given a restricted role at the World Cup, USA and Borussia Dortmund striker Giovanni Reyna’s mother Danielle, a former roommate and teammate of Berhalter’s wife Rosalind, brought the incident to the notice of US Soccer in December. Reyna, 20, apologized after being chastised by Berhalter at the World Cup for “not meeting expectations,” and his mother responded in a statement, expressing her outrage that the US head coach had not given her son the same forgiveness he had received at a similar age following the incident with his wife Rosalind in 1992.
The assessment stated that Berhalter did not improperly hide information concerning his wife’s domestic abuse and that “no evidence to suggest that he has participated in comparable wrongdoing at any other time” was identified. US Soccer is still looking for a new sports director, who will select the men’s team’s next head coach. Berhalter’s contract terminated at the end of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, leaving the position vacant. He stated in January that he intended to remain as head coach of the United States men’s national team.
Berhalter issued a statement in January detailing the facts surrounding the incident with his now-wife Rosalind, whom he has been married to for 25 years.
“Rosalind and I had a furious dispute outside a neighborhood bar one night while out drinking. When things got physical, I kicked her in the legs,” former US head coach Greg Berhalter said. “That type of action has never been duplicated again. Over three decades later, the lessons acquired that night created the foundation for a loving, dedicated, and supportive partnership. That was an incident that influenced but did not define me. It was a single isolated event over three decades ago, and an 18-year-old made a terrible decision in a bad moment.”
“During that talk, I told Earnie that I believed it was particularly unjust that Gio, who had repented for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had sought for and earned forgiveness for doing something far worse at the same age,” mother of Giovanni Reyna, Danielle Reyna said. “Without going into specifics, [Berhalter’s] [Tuesday] statement considerably reduces the abuse on the night in question. Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate, and best friend, and I stood by her through the ordeal. It took me a long time to forgive and embrace Gregg after that, but I worked hard to show him grace and eventually made both of them and their children a big part of my family’s lives. I would have expected him to provide the same kindness to Gio. This is why the current situation is so painful and difficult.”
Danielle Reyna revealed to US Soccer that she reported Berhalter “shortly after word arose that Gregg had made disparaging things about my son Gio at a leadership seminar.” Danielle Reyna, on the other hand, denies blackmailing Berhalter with the incident information and says she did not ask for his dismissal.
“But let me be clear: I did not urge Gregg to be fired, I made no threats, and I am unaware of any blackmail attempts. I have also never discussed anyone else on Gregg’s staff—I don’t know any of the other coaches,” she added.
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