Gregg Berhalter 'remains candidate' to be US coach, says investigation into wife incident
- Published
Gregg Berhalter won more than 40 caps for the United States as a player and had a spell with Crystal Palace from 2001-02
Gregg Berhalter "remains a candidate" to serve as head coach of the US men's national team, a US Soccer investigation has concluded.
The 49-year-old held the role when he was reported in December over an argument with his wife in 1992.
In a statement co-signed by his wife Rosalind in January, Berhalter admitted kicking her during the incident.
An independent investigation was launched and has found there is "no legal impediment to employing him".
The mother of US midfielder Giovanni Reyna, a former college room-mate and soccer team-mate of Rosalind Berhalter, said she reported Berhalter over the 1992 incident on 11 December, 2022.
Berhalter had criticised Reyna for "not meeting expectations" during last year's World Cup. His contract as US men's head coach was set to expire at the end of 2022 and US Soccer had not announced a decision on whether it would offer him an extension.
A report on the investigation, external concluded that the 1992 incident was "an isolated event" and found "no evidence to suggest that Mr. Berhalter has engaged in similar misconduct at any other time".
It adds there was "nothing to indicate" that the former US defender, who won 44 caps between 1994 and 2006, improperly withheld the fact of the 1992 incident and that the January statement "acknowledges his culpability and his need to be accountable for his actions".
What happened in the argument?
In January, the Berhalters shared details of their argument, which took place outside a bar when they were both 18.
It read: "One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside. It became physical and I kicked her in the legs."
Berhalter said Rosalind "wanted nothing to do" with him immediately after the incident but they met seven months later to rebuild their relationship.
They have been together since and celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary over the New Year weekend.
The report says the investigation did not uncover evidence that contradicts the couple's account of the incident.
Anthony Hudson took over Berhalter's role on an interim basis. US Soccer says it is in the process of appointing a sporting director, who will "lead the process of determining who will serve as head coach".
"US Soccer takes seriously both allegations of violence and allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward our officials and staff," a statement read., external
Reynas' involvement raises question of 'abuse of position'
Giovanni Reyna (right) has scored four goals from 16 internationals since Berhalter handed him his debut in 2020
During a speech at a leadership summit in early December, Berhalter said an unnamed player was nearly sent home from the World Cup for "not meeting expectations on and off the field".
After those comments leaked out, Giovanni Reyna, who did not start a game as the US were knocked out of the round of 16, revealed on Instagram he had apologised to his team-mates and Berhalter for his attitude.
The 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund winger said he had been told by Berhalter that his role at the tournament would be "very limited" and that he let it affect his "training and behaviour".
Reyna's mother Danielle then reported Berhalter because it was "unfair" that "people were trashing" her son when the head coach had done something "much worse" at a similar age.
She was Rosalind Berhalter's room-mate at the time of the incident and also married a US men's international, Claudio Reyna, who is currently technical advisor for Major League Soccer side Austin FC.
The investigation report acknowledges that some media sources described the Reynas' actions as "blackmail" but says the investigators "do not arrive at the same conclusion".
However, the report says that "the only witness statement that seemed to deviate, at least in part," was issued by Mrs Reyna.
She initially denied reporting the 1992 incident to US Soccer's former sporting director Earnie Stewart but "recanted her prior comments" during a second conversation with investigators, who made "multiple unsuccessful attempts to interview Mr Reyna".
The report adds that "witnesses described a pattern of periodic outreach from Mr Reyna to US Soccer officials and staff to advocate for his children" from 2016-2022.
It concludes that the former New York City sporting director "did not violate any US Soccer policies" but says that facts gathered during the investigation "might raise a question about whether Mr Reyna's communications with US Soccer officials are violative of the Fifa Code of Ethics and its rule against abuse of position".
In a statement, US Soccer said that the report "identifies a need to revisit" its policies concerning "appropriate parental conduct and communications with staff at the national team level".
"We will be updating those policies as we continue to work to ensure safe environments for all participants in our game," it added.
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