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The mother of U.S. player Gio Reyna was the person who told the U.S. Soccer Federation about a 1990s domestic-violence incident involving coach Gregg Berhalter, reports say.
On Tuesday, Berhalter, who led the U.S. team at the Qatar World Cup, said that someone had approached U.S. Soccer during the tournament with information about his past in an attempt to get him fired. In his statement, Berhalter described an incident between him and his now-wife, Rosalind, that happened when he was 18. “One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside,” he said. “It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.”
The Athletic reports that U.S. Soccer launched an investigation into the incident after receiving the information from Danielle Reyna, who is married to former U.S. national team star Claudio Reyna. Claudio and Danielle Reyna both provided statements to the Athletic confirming that the investigation was prompted by a conversation Danielle had with Earnie Stewart, sporting director for the U.S. Soccer Federation, on Dec. 11.
“To set the record straight, I did call Earnie Stewart on December 11, just after the news broke that Gregg had made negative statements about my son Gio at a leadership conference,” Danielle Reyna said in the statement. “I have known Earnie for years and consider him to be a close friend. I wanted to let him know that I was absolutely outraged and [devastated] that Gio had been put in such a terrible position, and that I felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family had considered a friend for decades.”
The ties between the Reyna and Berhalter families are indeed deep. Danielle Reyna was the college roommate and a teammate of Rosalind Berhalter at the University of North Carolina, according to the Athletic. Gregg Berhalter and Claudio Reyna, who have known each other since childhood, are former teammates on the national team. Reyna was best man at the Berhalters’ wedding, according to the U.S. National Team Soccer Team Players Association’s website.
Context: U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter says he was targeted in blackmail attempt at World Cup
ESPN reported that U.S. Soccer was told about the domestic-violence incident on the same day Berhalter made comments at the HOW Institute for Society’s Summit on Moral Leadership in New York describing how a player was nearly sent home from the World Cup in Qatar for not meeting expectations on and off the field.
While Berhalter did not identify the player, Gio Reyna confirmed in an Instagram post the following day that Berhalter had been referring to him.
“Just before the World Cup, Coach Berhalter told me that my role at the tournament would be very limited,” the younger Reyna wrote, adding that he was devastated by that news. “I am also a very emotional person, and I fully acknowledge that I let my emotions get the best of me and affect my training and behavior for a few days after learning about my limited role. I apologized to my teammates and coach for this, and I was told I was forgiven. Thereafter, I shook off my disappointment and gave everything I had on and off the field.”
Reyna continued: “I am disappointed that there is continuing coverage of this matter (as well as some highly fictionalized versions of events) and extremely surprised that anyone on the U.S. men’s team staff would contribute to it. Coach Berhalter has always said that issues that arise with the team will stay ‘in house’ so we can focus on team unity and progress.”
In the statement she provided to the Athletic, Danielle Reyna said she told Stewart that her son was being treated unfairly.
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“As part of that conversation, I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age. Without going into detail, the statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question. Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed. It took a long time for me to forgive and accept Gregg afterward, but I worked hard to give him grace, and ultimately made both of them and their kids a huge part of my family’s life. I would have wanted and expected him to give the same grace to Gio. This is why the current situation is so very hurtful and hard.”
Danielle Reyna denied that she was trying to get Berhalter fired. “I want to be very clear that I did not ask for Gregg to be fired, I did not make any threats, and I don’t know anything about any blackmail attempts, nor have I ever had any discussions about anyone else on Gregg’s staff — I don’t know any of the other coaches,” she said in her statement. “I did not communicate with anyone in U.S. Soccer about this matter before December 11, and no one else in my family has made any statements to U.S. Soccer regarding Gregg’s past at all.”
Claudio Reyna, who is currently sporting director for the MLS side Austin FC, provided the following statement to the Athletic: “I support my wife, Danielle, and her statement. I too was upset by Gregg’s comments about Gio after the U.S. was out of the World Cup, and I also appealed to Earnie Stewart on December 11 asking him to prevent any additional comments.”
Claudio Reyna said he discussed the situation with with Brian McBride, who like Stewart and Berhalter is a former national-team teammate. “While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son’s World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so.”
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MarketWatch has reached out to Claudio and Danielle Reyna for comment.
The U.S. team was knocked out of the Qatar World Cup by the Netherlands, which won their round-of-16 clash 3-1 on Dec. 3. Argentina won the World Cup on Dec. 18, defeating France on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Berhalter’s contract with U.S. Soccer expired on Dec. 31, 2022, according to reports.
