‘American soccer… we eat our own’: Alexi Lalas slams World Cup blackmail plot against USA coach Gregg Berhalter after he admitted KICKING his wife in a drunken argument in 1991 after threats to ‘take him down’
- Alexi Lalas has reacted to the apparent blackmail plot against Gregg Berhalter
- The FOX broadcaster shared his view on the situation Tuesday afternoon
- Berhalter admitted to kicking his now wife in college when he was 18 years old
- And US Soccer are probing a third party who tried to use that info against him
- Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com
Alexi Lalas has criticized the mystery blackmailer of Gregg Berhalter who aimed to ‘take down’ the USMNT coach with the information that he kicked his now-wife Rosalind during an argument in 1991.
Both Berhalter and US Soccer released statements regarding the matter on Tuesday, as the coach admitted to the ‘shameful moment’ when he was 18 years old and the federation said they were investigating the matter.
And Lalas chimed in as well, quote tweeting the statement sent from Berhalter’s Twitter account.
Alexi Lalas slammed the blackmail plot that is said to have targeted Gregg Berhalter
‘So, evidently someone blackmailed our US National Team coach Gregg Berhalter during the World Cup about an incident that happened between Gregg and his wife (then girlfriend) 30+ years ago,’ he said.
‘American soccer… we eat our own.’
US soccer said they learned of the ‘allegation’ against Berhalter on December 11 – eight days after the team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Holland – and said they will share the full results of the investigation when it is complete.
Berhalter’s contract with the team expired following the tournament, though he said Tuesday he was ‘looking forward to continuing my conversations with US Soccer about the future.’
Berhalter admitted to ‘kicking his wife Rosalind (left) in the legs’ after an argument in 1991
The coach said he released the statement ‘to provide transparency and to reinforce that a single bad decision made by a teenager does not necessarily define him for the rest of his life.’
‘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,’ he said.
‘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 released a statement to his Twitter profile on Tuesday afternoon to clarify some ‘personal information which a third party has used against my family and me’
‘There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day.’
The 49-year-old coach, born in New Jersey, met Rosalind, also 49, at the University of North Carolina where they both played soccer and started dating in 1991 before getting married eight years later.
The couple live in Lake View, Chicago, and have four children.
Berhalter concluded the statement by saying he and his wife Rosalind have ‘fully cooperated with the US Soccer investigation.’
However, it seems they are not the only people who may have been targeted by a third party.
Berhalter and his wife embrace after the USA exited the World Cup on December 3
‘Through this process, US Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization,’ the federation said in their statement.
‘We take such behavior seriously and have expanded our investigation to include those allegations.
Berhalter and Lalas both played for the USA national team.
Berhalter made 44 caps and played a significant role during the 2002 World Cup.
Lalas starred at the 1994 World Cup and made 96 international appearances.