Gregg Berhalter gives first interview amid US soccer scandal

Gregg Berhalter said Thursday he was “sad” at the Reyna family’s alleged blackmail scheme, which led to him exposing an incident of domestic violence 31 years ago.

Berhalter said in a statement earlier this week that he was attacked by a third party who aimed to “take him down” as he admitted kicking his now-wife Rosalind when he was 18.

Danielle Reyna, the mother of US player Gio Reyna, admitted on Wednesday that she shared information about the December 11 incident with US officials, after Berhalter detailed at a leadership conference how an unnamed player (later known as Reyna confirmed) almost sent home from Qatar would not have ‘lived up to expectations’.

Ex-USA captain Claudio Reyna also threatened to reveal details about Berhalter’s past during the tournament, according to ESPN.

And the coach has spoken publicly for the first time since the story broke on Thursday.

“I think it’s sadness. Our whole family is saddened by these events. It’s something we want to move on from,” Berhalter, who played youth and high school soccer with Claudio Reyna, told Harvard Business Review Thursday.

“The worst thing for me is that my heart aches for my wife. It was her story to tell.”

Berhalter also mentioned during the 30-minute chat that he would like to continue coaching USA after the side were ousted by Holland in the round of 16 in Qatar.

“It’s a fantastic group of players, super high potential in that group… it would be an amazing challenge for this team [competing in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada].’

Berhalter went public in 1991 for kicking his wife Rosalind (left) during an argument

Claudio and Danielle Reyna (pictured in 2018) released statements after telling US Soccer about Berhalter’s domestic violence incident in 1991

Berhalter’s US soccer contract expired at the end of 2022 and assistant Anthony Hudson was tapped to coach the team’s January friendlies.

Speaking at the HOW Institute for Society’s Summit on Moral Leadership in December, Berhalter described the situation regarding Reyna in Qatar as “extreme” as the player later admitted his bad behavior after being told he had a “very limited” position at the tournament role would play.

The Athletic cited sources who described a “pronounced” lack of effort from the player during the World Cup.

Asked Thursday if he had any regrets about how he handled the Reyna situation, Berhalter said, “We’re always trying to improve…if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have told that story.”

Elsewhere, he added: “Trust is something that takes a long time to build but can disappear very quickly.

Danielle Reyna was unhappy with Berhalter’s treatment of her son Gio at the World Cup

“You have to be consistent in who you are and you have to have clear values. And if it’s you, they can see that.”

“My bond with the players is very strong and it’s about maintaining that bond. And I think the players and the staff know who I am and what I stand for.”

Reyna, a winger for German Champions League club Borussia Dortmund, is considered one of the national team’s top talents and should play a significant role in Qatar.

Instead, he only played 52 minutes and didn’t make a single start. ‘

“It’s about facing these difficult conversations and going through with them,” Berhalter said Thursday.

Claudio Reyna (No.10) and Berhalter (No.3) played for USA between 1994 and 2006

“If a player doesn’t start a game, the last thing a coach should do is avoid telling him why.”

The coach concluded the interview by answering how he had dealt with the recent situation.

“I have a strong family. I have a very supportive family. For me it’s about my wife, it’s about feeling for her.

“It’s her story, I feel very bad that my profession had to bring this out into the open. We’ve had a lot of support, a lot of great messages from people who have known our family over the years.”