US Soccer wrote that an investigation began into 2022 World Cup USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter before his public statement was made on Tuesday.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, technically no longer under contract as of this week, is under investigation by US Soccer because of an incident in 1991 in which he admitted he kicked his wife Rosalind before they got married. His statement on Tuesday prompted US Soccer to acknowledge the ongoing investigation.
While Berhalter said he had informed family and friends of the situation long ago, the matter remained unknown publicly through the 2022 World Cup.
Here’s what is known right now about his contract status and the investigation…
What happened between Berhalter and his wife?
All that has been disclosed comes from the lengthy statement the manager published on Twitter (which can be found in its entirety here).
In the statement, Berhalter said he kicked his wife in a dispute at a bar in 1991 when they were dating. He said his actions were “shameful” but had been dealt with at the time within his personal circle. He wrote that he sought counseling and “that type of behavior has never been repeated” – and he asked readers not to define him for his violent behavior.
Authorities were never involved in the matter, Berhalter said.
What are the blackmail claims?
Berhalter suggested he was blackmailed before sharing the information, although he did not indicate the person or persons responsible.
“During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would ‘take me down’ – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from a long time ago to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer, he wrote.
US Soccer said the blackmail claims are part of its investigation.
“Through this process, US Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization,” wrote the organization. “We take such behavior seriously and have expanded our investigation to include those allegations.”
Timeline of US Soccer’s Berhalter investigation
US Soccer indicated that the investigation into Berhalter began on Dec. 11, 2022, eight days after the World Cup campaign ended with a loss to the Netherlands. The organization did not indicate who tipped it off to open up an inquiry, and it remains unclear whether members of US Soccer were aware of the incident before last month.
Given the investigation is ongoing, there are not yet any conclusions reached by Alston & Bird LLP, the firm responsible for carrying out the inquiry.
US Soccer did not estimate when the investigation would end but did say the results would be made public.
“Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will share the results of the investigation publicly when it is complete,” wrote the organization in its statement.
Is Berhalter still under contract?
Berhalter is no longer an employee as of this week; however, the USSF will carry out the investigation anyway.
There have not been any announcements about whether US Soccer would give Berhalter a new contract, or if this investigation would influence their decision-making process.
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