Gregg Berhalter, the head coach of the United States, has said that during a dispute, he kicked his wife when they were youngsters.
US Soccer is currently looking into the 49-year-old after an accusation was made against him.
In a statement on Tuesday, Berhalter said that someone had approached him during the World Cup and threatened to “take him down.”
“There are zero excuses for my actions that night,” the coach said.
The declaration, which was also signed by his wife Rosalind, included specifics of the 1991 incident.
“We had been dating for four months when an incident happened between us that would shape the future of our relationship,” a statement read.
“One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside. It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.”
Rosalind “wanted nothing to do” with him following the incident, according to Berhalter, but they eventually met to mend their friendship seven months later.
Since then, they have been together, and over the New Year holiday, they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
“Upon learning of the claim against US Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter on December 11, 2022, US Soccer immediately appointed Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter,” said a statement from US Soccer released on Tuesday.
“Through this process, US 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.”
“US Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.”
Berhalter, whose contract ended at the end of December, asserted that he had given the US Soccer investigation his complete cooperation.
In the following days, US Soccer said it would reveal the new head coach who would be joining the men’s national team for their January camp, where they will play Serbia and Colombia.
Who Is Gregg Berhalter?
Gregg Matthew Berhalter, an American soccer coach and former player, was Claudio Reyna’s teammate in high school at Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey.
He was born on August 1, 1973, in Englewood, New Jersey, and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey.
At the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, he played collegiate soccer.
He played with the Raleigh Flyers of the USISL in 1993 during the university off-season.
Baseball legend Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox’s godson is Berhalter. He served as the men’s national soccer team’s head coach.
Prior to leading LA Galaxy, Berhalter worked as an assistant coach with Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer, Hammarby IF of Sweden, and Columbus Crew SC.
Coaching career
Hammarby IF
On December 12, 2011, Berhalter was appointed head coach of the Swedish team Hammarby IF after serving as the Los Angeles Galaxy’s assistant coach for a season.
The team was competing in Superettan, the lower division, at the time.
Columbus Crew SC
On November 6, 2013, Berhalter was appointed the Columbus Crew’s sporting director and head coach.
In 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 the Columbus Crew SC made the playoffs under Berhalter. They competed in the 2015 MLS Cup, but they fell to the Portland Timbers 2-1 at home.
United States
Berhalter took over as the US national team’s head coach on December 2nd, 2018.
On January 27, 2019, he defeated Panama in a friendly match to record his first win as a coach.
Personal Life
Berhalter and his wife Rosalind, with whom he has four children, reside in Chicago’s Lake View area.
Sebastian, one of his sons, plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Jay, his brother, held the position of USSF’s chief commercial officer up until his resignation in 2020.
