USA rocked by claims of blackmail and boss kicking

GREGG BERHALTER is ‘still under consideration’ to continue as USA manager despite admitting he kicked his wife 32 years ago — an incident which was brought to light now by the mother of midfielder Gio Reyna. Berhalter’s contract expired on December 31 and he will not lead the team at their training camp later this month amid an ongoing investigation into the scandal. assistant anthony hudson — son of Chelsea legend alan — has been asked to take interim charge. But US Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart insists Berhalter remains in the running to resume as head coach despite the domestic violence incident and a public fallout with rising star Reyna and his family, including his father Claudio — once of Rangers, Sunderland and Manchester City, who won 112 caps for the USA.

‘Gregg Berhalter, until the investigation and the review takes place, is still under consideration for the head coach job,’ said Stewart. ‘Consistency and continuity is really important. that doesn’t necessarily always have to happen with the same coach. But it does make that process easier.’ Berhalter, who led the USA to the last 16 of the World Cup, admitted on tuesday that he kicked then girlfriend Rosalind — now his wife of 25 years — in the legs during a drunken row in 1991 when aged 18. ‘there are zero excuses for my actions that night,’ said the 49-year-old in a statement. ‘It was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day.’ Berhalter also revealed: ‘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.’ the next day, Danielle Reyna — mother of Borussia Dortmund’s Gio, 20 — released a statement announcing that she reported the historic attack by Berhalter to US Soccer on December 11. Danielle was close friends with Berhalter’s wife Rosalind from their time playing football together at the University of North Carolina. Danielle contacted US Soccer the same day Berhalter told a leadership event he almost sent a player home from the World Cup due to ‘extreme’ poor behaviour. While Gio, who played just 52 minutes in Qatar, was not named by Berhalter, he admitted on Instagram the next day that he had been told by the coach that his role would be ‘very limited’ and he let that news affect his ‘training and behaviour’.

In her statement, Danielle said: ‘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. I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologised 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 minimise the abuse on the night in question. Rosalind Berhalter was my room-mate, team-mate 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