Jose Mourinho ‘is being eyed to lead the US men’s team’ as Gregg Berhalter’s future remains uncertain

Modern soccer legend and AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly high on the list of potential replacements for US World Cup manager Gregg Berhalter, should he leave the national team, according to TheSun.

Berhalter’s contract with the US national team expired in early January, although US soccer has stated an official decision on his future will not be made until they complete an investigation into an incident that came to light in the aftermath of the World Cup.

Earlier this month, Berhalter was forced to publicly admit to kicking his wife Rosalind in the legs during a violent argument back in 1991. In his statement, he claimed he was threatened by a blackmailer, whom he did not identify, saying the person approached US soccer and threatened to ‘take him down’ with the information.

Mourinho’s Roma squad is currently seventh in Serie A with 34 points and sits behind Lazio and Atalanta on goal difference although all three are even on points.

He was also connected with the head coaching job for the Portuguese national team and Brazilian national team jobs. The Portuguese job was recently filled by long time Belgian manager Roberto Matinez who agreed to fill the position.

The United States are also said to have offered Zinedine Zidane the national team job but he declined.

Mourinho has accumulated a large amount of accolades during his outstanding coaching career which has seen him have success with multiple clubs in Portugal, England, and Italy however he has maintained the desire for success at the international level before one day ending his career.

‘Yes, I want to coach a national team, I want to have the experience of a World Cup and European Championship, the emotion of the short competition,’ Mourinho said in 2020.

The current national team however is still in the process of rebounding from the United States 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the World Cup Round of 16.

While the players have since returned to their club teams to either resume the regular season or are in training camps awaiting the start of the season, many of Team USA’s stars are facing potential transfer moves to new clubs.

Star player Christian Pulisic has been linked with a move away from Premier League giant Chelsea FC, although any move appears to have been halted after he suffered a knee injury, while midfielder Weston McKennie recently rejected a move to EPL side Aston Villa in hopes of a move to a bigger team.

As for the blackmailing and information leading to Berhalter’s investigation it later emerged that the parents of USA international Gio Reyna, Claudio and Danielle, had informed the country’s governing body about the incident in question.

Reyna, who represents Borussia Dortmund at the club level, was widely expected to be a central figure for the USA at the recent Qatar World Cup, only to end up being used as a substitute by Berhalter.

Danielle, fueled by frustration with her son’s lack of minutes, then made a move that Berhalter insists was a clear attempt ‘to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer’. He also admitted the incident was ‘a shameful moment and one I regret to this day’.

Reyna’s father, Claudio, is a former high school and national teammate of Berhalter’s, and their wives were teammates at the University of North Carolina in the early 1990s.

Now the United States is set to play two friendlies against Serbia and Colombia at the end of this month which will be coached by interim manager Anthony Hudson.

Reports also emerged Friday that US soccer general manager Brian McBride would not be returning following the expiration of his contract.