USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter admitted Tuesday he assaulted his future wife 31 years ago but alleged that someone threatened blackmail with the information.
U.S. Soccer sent out a separate message detailing its investigation into that anonymous person’s actions.
In a tweet from an unverified Twitter account, which was later confirmed as Berhalter’s by U.S. Soccer, Berhalter, 49, recounted an incident from late 1991 when he was a college freshman. He and his future wife, Rosalind, had been dating for four months.
“One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside,” Berhalter wrote. “It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.”
Berhalter said the authorities were not involved in the matter, and he sought counseling. While he and Rosalind stopped dating for seven months, they reunited and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
Berhalter alleges that someone contacted U.S. Soccer during the recent FIFA World Cup, threatening to divulge the incident.
“During the World Cup, an individual contacted U.S. Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would “take me down” — an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with U.S. Soccer,” Berhalter said.
Following Berhalter’s admission Tuesday, U.S. Soccer issued a statement saying it had launched an independent investigation into the matter after contact with the anonymous individual in mid-December.
“Through this process, U.S. Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization. We take such behavior 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.”
Berhalter’s contract as head coach of the USMNT expired at the end of 2022. U.S. Soccer said it will announce who will lead the January Men’s National Team camp “in the coming days.”
The soccer coach already had enough drama in his life following the USMNT’s exit from the World Cup in the Round of 16. Fans criticized his management of the team, and the hashtag #berhalterout trended on Twitter.