US Soccer investigating alleged 1990s Gregg Berhalter incident after apparent blackmail plot

US Soccer investigating alleged 1990s Gregg Berhalter incident after apparent blackmail plot

United States Soccer is conducting an investigation into an apparent “physical incident” between Gregg Berhalter and his wife in the fall of 1991.

An unverified Twitter account that appears to belong to the USMNT head coach issued a lengthy statement Tuesday, in his first tweet, explaining the incident in question in which Berhalter kicked his wife, Rosalind, in the legs when she was 18. years.

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A dejected Gregg Berhalter, the full-time coach/manager of the United States of America during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between the Netherlands and the United States at Khalifa International Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.
(James Williamson-AMA/Getty Images)

The account also references a person who contacted US Soccer “saying they had information on me that would ‘bring me down,’ an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from a long time ago to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer.” Soccer” during the World Cup.

“Now is the time to publicly share certain personal information that a third party has used against me and my family,” the statement read.

The statement said the incident occurred when Berhalter was a freshman in college, and the two had been dating for four months “when an incident occurred between us that would shape the future of our relationship.”

“One night while drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I got into a heated argument which continued outside. It turned physical and I kicked her in the legs,” the statement read.

USA #00 coach Gregg Berhalter shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group B soccer match between the USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on November 21, 2022.

USA #00 coach Gregg Berhalter shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group B soccer match between the USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on November 21, 2022.
(NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)

“There are no excuses for my actions that night; it was an embarrassing moment and one I regret to this day. At that point, I immediately apologized to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. I told her so.” to 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 advice to help learn , grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions I’ve ever made. To this day, the type of behavior has never been repeated.”

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The statement also says the incident “shaped me, but it doesn’t define me.”

US Soccer said in a statement of its own that they learned of the allegation on Dec. 11 and are “appreciative of Gregg and Rosalind coming forward to speak openly about this incident.”

They retained Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation immediately upon learning of the incident, and “were made aware of possible inappropriate behavior towards various members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization.”

“In keeping with our commitment to transparency, we will publicly share the results of the investigation when it is complete,” US Soccer said in a statement. “US Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.”

United States men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter during the international friendly match between Japan and the United States held at the Dusseldorf Arena on September 23, 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

United States men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter during the international friendly match between Japan and the United States held at the Dusseldorf Arena on September 23, 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
(ANP via Getty Images)

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Berhalter’s contract expired and US Soccer said they will “announce who will lead” this month’s camp “in the next few days.”

The USMNT advanced to the round of 16 of the World Cup before being eliminated by the Netherlands.

By Jacob Wilson

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