Gregg Berhalter became the USMNT’s head coach in 2018, and his contract expired following the tournament.
The US’s national men’s team (USMNT) said it is investigating a domestic violence incident involving the team manager after he admitted he was violent towards his wife.
Manager Gregg Berhalter confirmed he kicked his wife Rosalind Berhalter in the legs during an incident at a pub in 1991 via an unconfirmed Twitter account, which U.S. Soccer later certified as authentic.
Berhalter said that during the World Cup in Qatar last month, an anonymous person threatened him with the disclosure of details regarding the incident.
Addressing the issue, Berhalter described his behaviour as “shameful,” but he urged people to avoid defining him by that incident.
U.S. Soccer said it is currently looking into the event.
“Upon learning of the allegation against U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter on Dec. 11, 2022, U.S. Soccer immediately hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter,” wrote U.S. Soccer on its official Twitter account.
“…U.S. Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behaviour towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organisation. We take such behaviour seriously and have expanded our investigation to include those allegations.”
“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. U.S. Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously. Last month, U.S. Soccer launched a full technical review of our men’s national team program.”
Berhalter’s lengthy statement was unusual because it came from an unverified account and he had never before had a public Twitter account. While occasionally veering off topic to talk about World Cup on-field performance, it contained allegations of possible blackmail.
The statement signed by both him and Rosalind states “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.”
He claimed that he first met Rosalind in his first year in college at the University of North Carolina. They all participated in varsity soccer for the Tar Heels. He kicked her in the legs during an argument they had at a pub four months later.
“There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day,” Berhalter said. “At that time, I immediately apologised to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. … While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counselling to help learn, grow and improve — one of the most valuable decisions that I ever made. To this day, that type of behaviour has never been repeated.”
Rosalind got in touch with Berhalter again seven months later, and they reconnected once more. They’ve been together for 25 years, just just celebrating their anniversary, and have four kids.
Berhalter’s future with Team USA is still up in the air, US Soccer is still reviewing his performance in Qatar in order to select the manager who will take the men’s team to the 2026 North American World Cup.
After beginning his coaching career with the LA Galaxy in 2011, Berhalter became the USMNT’s head coach in 2018. Before making the jump to international soccer, he worked with Columbus Crew SC of the Major League Soccer and Sweden’s Hammarby IF.
