1/3
U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter said he is fully cooperating with an investigation into allegations made against him. File Photo by Chris Brunskill/UPI |
License Photo
Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The United States Soccer Federation announced it is investigating men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter for a 1991 incident in which he kicked the woman who would later become his wife.
The federation said Tuesday it learned of the allegation against Berhalter on Dec. 11 and hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation. Officials said that ongoing investigation also revealed "potential inappropriate behavior toward multiple members of [the U.S. soccer] staff by individuals outside the organization."
Berhalter said in a statement Tuesday that someone contacted the federation during the 2022 World Cup saying they had "information about" the national team manager that would "take him down." He then went on to admit to kicking Rosalind Berhalter three decades ago while the couple were dating.
He said he was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill at the time.
"In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate," Berhalter said in the statement, which also was attributed to his wife. "We had been dating for four months when an incident happened between us that would shape the future of our relationship. One night, when out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside. It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.
"There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day."
Berhalter said he apologized to her and that authorities were not involved. He also said he sought out counseling and "that type of behavior has never been repeated."
The Berhalters, who have four children, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last weekend. Berhalter said he and his wife have "fully cooperated" with the investigation.
"I am sharing this story after 31 years because it's important to understand it was an event that shaped me, but doesn't define me," Berhalter said.
"It was a single, isolated event over three decades ago and a terrible decision made in a bad moment by an 18-year-old."
Berhalter, 49, played at North Carolina from 1991 to 1994. He also spent 1993-2011 as a professional soccer player, with stints at clubs around the world. Berhalter's playing career included 44 appearances for the U.S. men's national team.
He served as an assistant at the Los Angeles Galaxy before he took his first job as manager in 2011 for Sweden's Hammarby. Berhalter also managed the Columbus Crew from 2013 to 2018, before he took over the national team.
Berhalter's contract with the national team expired Saturday. The federation said it will announce who will lead the January men's national team camp in the coming days.
Last month, the federation said it launched a "full technical review" of the men's national team program.
"We appreciate Gregg and Rosalind coming forward to speak openly about this incident," the federation said. "Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will share the results of the investigation publicly when it is complete. [The federation] condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously."
