Ever since Gregg Berhalter took over the American national soccer team things have been looking up. The title at the Gold Cup 2021, reaching the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar. But whether he will remain a coach remains to be seen. Because he now admits to a physical attack that happened a long time ago.
The US Football Association is investigating former men’s national coach Gregg Berhalter because of a long-ago physical attack on his current wife Rosalind. As announced by US Soccer, on December 11 they learned of the allegations against the 49-year-old and hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation. US Soccer spoke of “potentially inappropriate behavior” that was learned from “people outside of our organization.”
The association left Berhalter’s future as a US coach open, his contract with the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup expired at the turn of the year. The association “condemns all forms of violence and takes such allegations very seriously”. US Soccer will announce “in the coming days” who will headline the January camp for the men’s national team.
In a joint statement with his wife on Tuesday, Berhalter commented in detail on the allegations and openly admitted his guilt. “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,” Berhalter wrote. “One evening while we were having a drink in a bar, Rosalind and I got into a heated argument which continued outside. It became violent and I kicked her in the legs. There is no excuse for my actions that night. It was a shameful moment that I regret to this day.”
The future professional at Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich asserted that he had already taken full responsibility and made no secret of his misconduct: “Although the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought advice to learn how to grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions I have ever made. To date, such behavior has not been repeated.”