Reyna and his wife have been accused of sending threatening messages
Former USA captain Claudio Reyna and his wife Danielle reportedly sent threatening messages to the US Soccer Federation threatening to leak personal information about head coach Gregg Berhalter ahead of the World Cup.
Berhalter was recently forced to come out and publicly admit to kicking his wife during a drunken argument in 1991 in order to quash a blackmail plot throughout the tournament.
Messages first began to emerge after Berhalter told Claudio’s son Gio – who plays for Borussia Dortmund – that he would be a bit part player at the World Cup.
The Daily Mail have reported that US soccer officials were first made aware of the messages on December 11 after Berhalter revealed that he almost sent an unnamed player home from the World Cup.
While he didn’t specifically name the player, many speculated that Reyna was the one in question due to his lack of game time. Giovanni then confirmed the news a day later on his Instagram profile.
Danielle Reyna released a statement on Wednesday in which she claimed responsibility for informing the US Soccer Federation of Berhalter’s past, but denied making threatening statements.
Danielle Reyna's statement on the Gregg Berhalter situation via @TheAthletic's @PaulTenorio.
"The statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/r4x4yNghA6
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) January 4, 2023
“To set the record straight, I did call (US Soccer sporting director) 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 have known Earnie for years and consider him to be a close friend. I wanted to let him know that I was absolutely outraged and devastated that Gio had been put in such a terrible position, and that I felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family had considered a friend for decades.
“As part of that conversation, I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized 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.
“But I want to be very clear that I did not ask for Gregg to be fired, I did not make any threats, and I don’t know anything about any blackmail attempts, nor have I ever had any discussions about anyone else on Gregg’s staff— I don’t know any of the other coaches.”
Related links:
- Gio Reyna’s agent hits back at claims that he was nearly sent home from World Cup
- Emiliano Martínez spends £20,000 on guard dog to protect World Cup winners medal
- World Cup account forced to delete tweet after being accused of ‘trolling’ Cristiano Ronaldo
