USMNT Declares Gregg Berhalter A Candidate For Team Coach Amidst Scandal
The U.S. men's national team (USMNT) has announced the return of one of its coaches, Gregg Berhalter amidst allegations of domestic violence in his marriage. The team says it has made an investigation into the story and only released an official statement after verifying for itself.
Berhalter was accused of an act of domestic violence in an incident that happened between him and his wife in 1991. The allegation led to the suspension of the USMNT coach who only just returned after proper investigations that clarified his involvement. A private detective firm, Alston & Bird was hired to conduct an independent investigation into the 1991 case. Findings from the investigation ascertain that Berhalter won't pose a threat of legal implications to the U.S. soccer team upon reinstatement.
The federation affirms that the accused Berhalter did not try to withhold any necessary information as reports from the investigation show that he was cooperative with the entire process. Gregg Berhalter remains an eligible candidate for the position of USMNT head coach.
"We appreciate Gregg and Rosalind coming forward to speak openly about this incident. Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will share the results of the investigation publicly when it is complete. US Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously", the federation shared in a post.
Gregg Berhalter Becomes Vulnerable In A Twitter Post, Shares Actual Story.
Berhalter himself took to Twitter to detail the actual story behind the allegations in a recent post on Tuesday. He shared his involvement in the violent incident that entailed "kicking his wife in the legs" and narrated how he was blackmailed with it during the Qatar World Cup.
In the extensive thread he documented on the micro-blogging platform, Berhalter took the time to narrate the historical scenarios that led to the incident.
"This is a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to clearly and directly share the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but hopefully there are lessons from our relationship that can be valuable to others. In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate. I had just turned 18 and was a freshman in college when I met Rosalind for the first time. There was a familiar feeling when we spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person - determined, empathetic, fun to be around – and we connected immediately.
'This is our story. We have fully cooperated with the US Soccer investigation into this matter, and while we would prefer not to speak about something so personal from so long ago in such a public forum, we are embracing this opportunity to share what has shaped us and how much we have grown and learned from this over the past 31 years. Thank you", he ended his thread on Twitter.
How Gregg Berhalter's Career Might Have Been Affected By The Allegations
The domestic violence saga which almost rocked Berhalter's career finally all started when the mother of a national team star, Giovanni Reyna, subtly accused him of being violent with his wife.
The star's parents were stirred into a vengeful comeback after Berhalter made a public comment shading their son's eviction from the Qatar World Cup. Although Berhalter didn't mention the boy's name in his post, anyone who saw the Instagram post made by Gio the next day would understand he was the "unnamed" player mentioned in the USMNT coach's post.
As a way to spite Berhalter for the indirect comments made about her son, Danielle, Gio's mother, made a call to US soccer executives to vent about the unfair treatment of their son, giving hints about Coach Berhalter's dark past.
According to them, it was unfair that strict actions were taken against Gio when the Coach himself did something worst in his younger years.
Danielle and her husband's close relationship with the couple during their college days gave her access to the 1991 domestic violence incident Berhalter alleged. The matter soon became heated at USMNT after Danielle revealed what she called merely "setting the record straight" in a statement she later released to clarify she wasn't trying to threaten the Coach.
"I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."
"I thought our conversation would remain in confidence, and it didn’t occur to me at the time that anything I said could lead to an investigation. I’m not criticizing Earnie here, I just wanted Earnie to help make sure that there would be no further unwarranted attacks on my son."
“I’m sorry that this information became public, and I regret that I played a role in something that could reopen wounds from the past,” she wrote.
Although Gio's parents denied knowing about any blackmail attempts on Berhalter, the USMNT Coach was no longer under contract by the beginning of 2023 since he had to be subjected to an internal investigation at USMNT.
This also meant he was no longer an eligible candidate for a coach until he was exonerated.