the revenge of Giovanni Reyna’s parents behind the complaint – Corriere.it

It was understood that it was a bad story, but the “Reyna gate” that shakes American football is even worse than one could imagine. On Wednesday, the current coach Greg Berhalter admitted to a fact that happened in 1991: “I kicked my wife,” said the coach, after the Federation had been fully informed of the facts and crimes already in December. «During the World Cup – wrote the 49-year-old coach – an individual contacted US Soccer saying they had information about me that would bring me down. My wife Rosalind and I want to share everything and tell the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but we hope there are lessons that can be invaluable to others.”

The individual who reopened the closet by taking out the old skeletons is Claudio Reyna together with his wife Danielle: Reyna not only grew up together with Berhalter, becoming a team mate in the 2002 World Cup expedition (he was the captain), but he is John’s father, one of the most promising stars of American football who, however, remained on the bench in Qatar: due to an evident lack of condition (according to Berhalter), due to wrong technical choices according to the Reynas. The complaint – no longer anonymous – of a serious fact that occurred many years ago, thus assumes the contours of revenge: Berhalter’s contract with the federation expired on 31 December and the coach was negotiating an extension, after a positive World Cup for the USA, eliminated in the round of 16 by Holland.

His future is now in the balance, also because his initial appointment had come amid controversy, given that the coach’s brother has a role in the Federation and therefore a possible conflict of interest had been overshadowed. But the USA, absent from the World Cup in Russia, were looking for stability and results and Berhalter guaranteed both, thanks also to a new generation of very interesting players now rooted in European football. John Reina of Borussia Dortmund, however, he is not only a child of art and one of the potentially strongest talents for the team that will host the next World Cup (together with Canada and Mexico): he is also a footballer who chose the USA despite being able to play for passport issues with England, Argentina or Portugal.

Berhalter, a close friend of Claudio and his wife, has always shown that he has esteem and trust in Gio, but something broke during the World Cup qualifiers: the boy was able to make a minimal contribution due to too many injuries and in the last friendlies before the debut in Qatar, according to the coach, would have shown little application.

The skirmishes between Giovanni Reyna and Berhalter continued between interviews and messages via social media, with not so veiled accusations from the coach to the player of ruining the atmosphere in the team, promptly rejected to the sender. Meanwhile mom and dad did their job behind the scenes to destabilize the former friend who won’t let their son play. Berhalter made a mistake and will almost certainly pay for his grave act many years ago. But – with these premises – How will Reyna junior become a leader of Team USA?