USA head coach Gregg Berhalter revealed that he was blackmailed during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The manager, whose contract officially ended at the end of last month after the end of the tournament, moved to clarify some personal information ‘that was used by a third party against my family and me.’
In a lengthy statement posted on his Twitter profile, Berhalter discussed a violent incident in 1991 involving his wife Rosalind that was being investigated by US Soccer.
USA’s Gregg Berhalter has revealed he was blackmailed into the 2022 Qatar World Cup
“While we obviously want to advance to the World Cup, I am extremely proud and grateful to all of our players, our staff, everyone at US Soccer, and all of the USMNT fans around the world who have supported us,’ the post read.
‘Our performance relied on hard work and extraordinary energy and commitment from those on and off the pitch during the years of preparation. There are so many positive examples of how our squad came together, making so many different kinds of sacrifices in pursuit of our group’s shared vision.
‘I look forward to continuing my conversations with US Soccer about the future, but now is the time for me to share publicly some personal information that a third party has used against my family and me.
‘During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying they had information about me that would ‘take me down’ – an apparent effort to use something that was already very personal to end my relationship with US Soccer. It was a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I wanted to share the truth clearly and directly. This is a story that belongs to us, but I hope there are lessons from our relationship 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 talked. Rosalind is a wonderful person – determined, compassionate, fun to be with – and we connected instantly.
‘It’s like we’ve 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 drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I got into a heated argument that continued outside. It got physical and I kicked him in the legs.
‘There are no excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day. At that time, I immediately apologized 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 behavior. Rosalind also informed her parents, family, and friends. Although the authorities never got involved in this matter, I willingly sought counseling to help learn, grow and improve -one of the most important decisions ever made. Until now, such behavior has not been repeated.
‘I was terrified of losing my soulmate and then out of the blue, seven months later I got a call from Rosalind asking if we could talk in person. We met and talked about 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 realized that our love, trust, and respect for each other is stronger than the incident that happened a few months ago.
‘Since then, Rosalind and I have lived together in five different countries, three different states and met and remained friends with many wonderful people from all over the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together.
‘The lessons learned from that night more than three decades ago became the foundation for a loving, faithful and supportive relationship, which we honored and celebrated on our 25th wedding anniversary this past weekend.
‘I am sharing this story after 31 years because it is important to understand that this is an event that shaped me, but does not define me. It was a single, isolated event over the past three decades and was a terrible decision made in a bad moment by an 18-year-old. Rosalind and I have been on an amazing journey together.
‘We raised four beautiful children, knowing what happened.
‘We are so proud of our marriage, our relationship, the family we’ve built, and the people we’ve become.
‘As a team we emphasize accountability, loyalty, and growth. Those are not just principles we instill within the group; it’s how I live my life. The foundation of any great team is using the past as an opportunity to learn and become better.
‘People can make mistakes and learn from them; people can also be forgiven for their mistakes. Fortunately, Rosalind forgave me. The purpose of this statement is to provide transparency and to reinforce that a single bad decision made by a teenager does not necessarily define him for the rest of his life. We will not hide here. We didn’t then, and we don’t now.
‘This is our story. We have fully cooperated with US Soccer’s investigation into this matter, and while we would prefer not to speak about something so long ago in such a public forum, we welcome this opportunity to share what shaped us and if how much we have grown and learned from it over the past 31 years. Thank you
‘Rosalind and Gregg Berhalter.’
A statement by US Soccer on Tuesday afternoon read: ‘Upon learning of the allegation against US Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter on December 11, 2022, US Soccer immediately engaged Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into this thing. The investigation is being led by Jenny Kramer, BJay Pak and Chris Marquardt of Alston & Bird LLP and remains ongoing.
‘Through this process, US Soccer learned about potentially inappropriate behavior among many 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 speaking openly about this incident. In keeping with our commitment to transparency, we will publicly share the results of the investigation once it is complete. US Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations seriously.
‘Last month, US Soccer launched a full technical review of our Men’s National Team Program. As evaluations and investigations continue, US Soccer will announce who will lead the January Men’s National Team camp in the coming days. We look forward to progressing performance in Qatar and preparing for the journey towards 2026.
