USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter admits he kicked his wife

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United States National Team head coach Greg Berhalter has admitted he kicked his wife in the legs during a drunken argument outside a bar when he was 18. Berhalter, whose contract with US Soccer expired on December 31 2022, released a lengthy joint-statement with his wife admitting to his actions, alleging he was being blackmailed.

Berhalter is yet to learn whether he will be coaching the USA in their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, with US Soccer confirming an investigation is ongoing. The 49-year-old confirmed the argument took place outside a bar when the pair had been dating for just four months, prompting his then-girlfriend to break up with him. She later called him months later to reconcile, and they’ve been together ever since – celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary over New Year’s Eve weekend.

Berhalter claims in the statement that an individual contacted US Soccer to allege they had information that could be damaging to him. He claims in his statement that he decided to come forward with the full story to take ownership of his actions.

He wrote: “During the World Cup, an individual contacted U.S Soccer saying they had information about me that would “take me down” – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with U.S Soccer. This is a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to clearly and directly share the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but hopefully there are lessons 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 spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person – determined, empathetic, fun to be around – and we connected immediately. It felt like we had 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 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. At the time, I immediately apologised 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 behaviour. Rosalind also informed her parents, family and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counselling to help learn, grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions that I ever made. To this day, that type of behaviour has never been repeated.

“I feared that I lost my soulmate and then out of the blue, seven months later I received a call from Rosalind asking if we could speak in person. We met and discussed 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 realised that our live, trust and respect for each other was stronger than the incident that occurred months earlier. Since then, Rosalind and I have lived together in five different countries, three different states, and have met and remained friends with many wonderful people from all around the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together.”

US Soccer released a statement of their own later on Tuesday evening to confirm an investigation was ongoing. The statement read: “Upon learning of the allegation against U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter on Dec. 11, 2022, U.S. Soccer immediately hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The investigation is being led by Jenny Kramer, BJay Pak  and Chris Marquardt of Alston & Bird LLP and remains ongoing. 

“Through this process, U.S. Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple 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 coming forward to speak openly about this incident. Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will share the results of the investigation publicly when it is complete. U.S. Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.

“Last month, U.S. Soccer launched a full technical review of our Men’s National Team Program. With the review and investigation ongoing, US Soccer will announce who will lead the January Men’s National Team camp in the coming days. We look forward to building off the performance in Qatar and preparing for the journey towards 2026.”

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