USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has admitted to kicking his wife in the legs during a heated argument outside a bar. Berhalter alleged in the statement that an individual contacted US Soccer to claim they had information that could "take me down".
Berhalter, whose contract with US Soccer expired on December 31 2022, admitted there were "zero excuses" for his actions, and that he'd been the subject of an internal investigation, something US Soccer confirmed in a statement of their own.
The 49-year-old did not confirm whether he would coach the team in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup, and expressed he wanted to release the statement to give his side of the story.
He wrote: "During the World Cup, an individual contacted U.S Soccer saying 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. This is a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to clearly and directly share the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but hopefully there are lessons that can be valuable to others.
"In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate. I had just turned 18 and was a freshman in college when I met Rosalind for the first time. There was a familiar feeling when we spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person - determined, empathetic, fun to be around - and we connected immediately. It felt like we had known each other for years. We had been dating for four months when an incident happened between us that would shape the future of our relationship. 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.
"There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day. At the time, I immediately apologised to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. I told my parents, family and friends what happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behaviour. Rosalind also informed her parents, family and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counselling to help learn, grow and improve - one of the most valuable decisions that I ever made. To this day, that type of behaviour has never been repeated.
"I feared that I lost my soulmate and then out of the blue, seven months later I received a call from Rosalind asking if we could speak in person. We met and discussed how we had grown and decided to rebuild our relationship. Rosalind shared that her family supported this decision and by working through what happened, we both realised that our live, trust and respect for each other was stronger than the incident that occurred months earlier. Since then, Rosalind and I have lived together in five different countries, three different states, and have met and remained friends with many wonderful people from all around the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together."
Berhalter and his wife have now been together for 25 years, celebrating their wedding relationship over the New Year's Eve weekend. In a statement of their own, US Soccer confirmed it was investigating the matter, and would release more information at a later date over whether Berhalter would remain as head coach.
The statement read: "Upon learning of the allegation against U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter on Dec. 11, 2022, U.S. Soccer immediately hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The investigation is being led by Jenny Kramer, BJay Pak and Chris Marquardt of Alston & Bird LLP and remains ongoing.
"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.
"Last month, U.S. Soccer launched a full technical review of our Men’s National Team Program. With the review and investigation ongoing, US Soccer will announce who will lead the January Men's National Team camp in the coming days. We look forward to building off the performance in Qatar and preparing for the journey towards 2026."
