Gregg Berhalter admits there is “work to be done” to mend the relationship with Gio Reyna

Gregg Berhalter admits there is ‘work to be done’ to mend relationship with Gio Reyna as he is reintroduced as US football head coach

Gregg Berhalter was reintroduced as coach of the US men’s national team on Friday, acknowledging that there is “work to be done” to mend his relationship with Gio Reyna.

Berhalter hardly used Reyna during the World Cup in Qatar and afterwards shared at a business conference – which was meant off the record – that an anonymous player was almost sent home for lack of effort.

That player was later confirmed to be Reyna, and after Berhalter’s comments, Gio’s mother Danielle Reyna disclosed to US Soccer that the coach and his now-wife Rosalind had been involved in a domestic violence incident while in college.

“I would certainly recognize that there is work to be done, and Gio is an important player for this team,” Berhalter told reporters on Friday.

“He is an exceptionally talented person and I have an obligation and commitment to coach him as I coach any other player.”

Gregg Berhalter has been reappointed as head coach of the US men’s national team

Berhalter's decision to keep Gio Reyna out of the starting line-up in Qatar was widely criticized

Berhalter’s decision to keep Gio Reyna out of the starting line-up in Qatar was widely criticized

“And I want to get the best out of him — we want to get the best out of him, and we know if we can unlock his talents, he’s going to be a game changer for this program.”

“So there’s work to be done, and part of that is collaborating with [sporting director] Mat [Crocker]and trying to build a relationship, which we know will be important moving forward.

Although Berhalter’s contract was allowed to expire after the World Cup, the Reyna’s allegations led to a report on the case by law firm Alston & Bird, commissioned by US Soccer.

The report said that Reyna’s parents spoke to then-US soccer chief Earnie Stewart on the night of December 11, 2022. [note: after the US had been eliminated] to disclose “information about Mr. Berhalter… which Ms. Reyna had known for decades and… the information was made public at a time when it would be expected to discourage or otherwise influence the organization to make a contract extension to Mr. Berhalter. Berhalter.’

However, despite these actions, Alston & Bird’s report said they did not constitute blackmail or extortion.

The report did reveal a pattern of behavior by Claudio Reyna that may have violated the rules of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

The investigation, commissioned by US Soccer, related to a domestic violence incident involving him and his now-wife Rosalind in 1992.

The investigation, commissioned by US Soccer, related to a domestic violence incident involving him and his now-wife Rosalind in 1992.

It came after Danielle Reyna revealed Berhalter's domestic violence incident to US Soccer

It came after Danielle Reyna revealed Berhalter’s domestic violence incident to US Soccer

According to ESPNthe ex-US captain also threatened to share details about Berhalter’s past during the day the tournament too, as his son only had 52 minutes of playing time in total.

At the HOW Institute for Society’s moral leadership summit in December, Berhalter called the situation regarding Reyna in Qatar “extreme.”

Reyna admitted in an Instagram post that he let his emotions “get the best of me” after being told before the matches started that he would play a “very limited” role in the tournament.

After the incident came to light in 1992, Berhalter acknowledged that he had indeed kicked Rosalind during a dispute, characterizing it as a one-off incident.

Alston & Bird’s investigation found that Rosalind and Gregg Berhalter’s recollection of the events was accurate.

As a result of the findings, Berhalter remained a candidate for the position.

Berhalter also shared that he had not spoken to Reyna since the end of the tournament.

“I think there are some individuals you want to talk to,” Berhalter said on Friday, sharing that he had not yet spoken to Ricardo Pepi or Zack Steffen, whom he left off the World Cup squad.

‘And ideally you have everyone on the same page. All we do is try to be great together.”