Gregg Berhalter, who coached the United States on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, admitted Tuesday to allegations surrounding a 1991 incident during which he kicked his now-wife Rosalind within the legs throughout an argument exterior a bar.
The incident was reported to U.S. Soccer final month and occurred when Berhalter was an 18-year-old freshman defender on the University of North Carolina.
“There are zero excuses for that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day,” Berhalter wrote in a prolonged social media submit that was signed by each him and his spouse.
“At that time, I immediately apologized to Rosalind, but understandably she wanted nothing to do with me. I told my parents, family and friends what happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behavior. Rosalind also informed her parents, family and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counseling to help learn, grow and improve — one of the most valuable decisions that I ever made. To this day, that type of behavior has never been repeated.”
Berhalter went on to say that Rosalind contacted him seven months later and that the pair reconciled — they’ve been collectively ever since and have 4 kids collectively — and advised the beforehand unknown incident got here to mild as a part of an obvious blackmail try.
“An individual contacted U.S. Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would ‘take me down’ — an apparent attempt to leverage something very personal from a long time ago to bring about the end of my relationship with U.S. Soccer,” Berhalter wrote on his unverified Twitter account, the authenticity of which FOX Sports was capable of affirm.
In its personal assertion Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation stated it discovered of the allegations Dec. 11, slightly greater than every week after the U.S. staff was eradicated by the Netherlands within the spherical of 16 on the World Cup in Qatar. The USSF stated it instantly launched an impartial investigation into each the incident and the alleged extortion of Berhalter.
“Through this process, U.S. Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization,” U.S. Soccer’s assertion stated. “We take such behavior seriously and have expanded our investigation to include those allegations.
“We respect Gregg and Rosalind coming ahead to talk brazenly about this incident,” the statement continued. “Consistent with our dedication to transparency, we are going to share the outcomes of the investigation publicly when it’s full. U.S. Soccer condemns violence of any variety and takes such allegations very severely.”
A former two-time U.S. World Cup defender, Berhalter was hired to lead the national team in December 2018, 14 months after the Americans failed to qualify for that year’s World Cup — the U.S. men’s first tournament miss in more than 30 years. He led the squad to CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League titles in 2021, and last March qualified the Americans for their first World Cup in eight years.
His four-year contract expired last week; whether or not Berhalter, who managed teams in Sweden and MLS before taking the national team job, is considered to continue as USMNT coach will likely depend on both the outcome of the investigation and the technical review still being conducted by U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart.
The U.S. will kick off its 2023 slate later this month with friendly matches against Serbia and Colombia in Los Angeles.
“With the overview and investigation ongoing, U.S. Soccer will announce who will lead the January males’s nationwide staff camp within the coming days,” the federation’s statement said.
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