USA manager Gregg Berhalter reveals he was blackmailed during 2022 FIFA World Cup over violent incident involving his wife

On Tuesday, USA head coach Gregg Berhalter made the shocking revelation that he was blackmailed during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In a statement posted on his Twitter profile, Berhalter explained that a third party had threatened to reveal personal information during the FIFA World Cup about an incident from 1991. A lengthy statement (as quoted by the Daily Mail) revealed that the coach kicked his wife's legs during a violent argument over 30 years ago:

"I am looking forward to continuing my conversations with US Soccer about the future, but now is the time for me to publicly share some personal information which a third party has used against my family and me.

During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying that 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 US Soccer."

He continued, detailing the events that took place at the time:

"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."

Berhalter went on to say that he apologized for the incident, while noting that his wife Rosalind left the relationship, but eventually returned:

"There are zero 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 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."

Berhalter and his team eventually crashed out of the FIFA World Cup against the Netherlands in the Round of 16.

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USA Soccer statement on Berhalter blackmail during FIFA World Cup

According to The Daily Mail, US Soccer released a statement regarding the blackmail, noting that investigations had begun in early December as the FIFA World Cup commenced:

"Upon learning of the allegation against US 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."