Gregg Berhalter
What: AP/Andre Penner
Gregg Berhalter faces allegations of violence. The US association is investigating against its previous national coach. Berhalter himself clears up an incident from his past. And hints at blackmail.
Gregg Berhalter, who coached the US national team at the World Cup in Qatar, is being investigated by his own association. As US Soccer announced, allegations against the coach became known on December 11, eight days after the loss in the round of 16 against the Netherlands (1: 3), whereupon the association commissioned a law firm to investigate. The association was not specifically mentioned in the statement, but condemned “any kind of violence and takes the allegations very seriously.”
In a joint statement with his wife Rosalind, Berhalter himself tried to clarify. Accordingly, the allegations are based on a single incident almost 31 years ago. “In the fall of 1991 I met my soul mate. We had been dating for four months when an incident occurred that would shape the future of our relationship,” the 49-year-old wrote.
In a bar there was a violent argument between the two, which continued in front of the bar. There, Berhalter became violent and kicked Rosalind in the legs. “There is no excuse for my actions this evening. It was a shameful moment that I still regret to this day,” wrote Berhalter, who was 18 at the time and had just started his football career on the University of North Carolina collegiate team.
Relationship resumed after seven months
The incident apparently did not disrupt the relationship between the two in the long term. The two initially had no contact for seven months, but then resumed their relationship. The authorities did not investigate Berhalter at the time. However, the former professional from Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich voluntarily sought advice “to learn, to grow and to improve myself”. The US association “appreciated” the decision that Berhalter spoke openly.
However, the incident apparently did not come to the association and thus ultimately to the public entirely voluntarily. Berhalter said in the statement that during the World Cup in Qatar, an unnamed person contacted US Soccer with “information that would ‘take me down’ – an obvious attempt, something very personal that happened a long time ago, as a bargaining chip use to bring about my end at US Soccer.”
Berhalter’s contract as national coach expired at the end of the year. The association initially left its future open and would like to announce in the coming days who will lead the first team camp of the new year in January as national coach.
