USMNT Coach Gregg Berhalter Discusses Gio Reyna Situation, Says He Wants to Remain Head Coach

US Men's National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has had quite a few weeks since the end 2022 World Cup ended.

After star player Gio Reyna barely played for the U.S. in the World Cup, Berhalter essentially called him out for poor effort.

READ: GREGG BERHALTER MAY HAVE JUST EXPLAINED WHY GIO REYNA BARELY PLAYED IN THE WORLD CUP

While not mentioning him by name, it was extremely obvious he was referring to Reyna. That was almost immediately confirmed by reports soon afterwards.

That may not have been the smartest decision of his coaching career.

Turns out that, unsurprisingly, Reyna's parents really didn't like that Berhalter called out their son.

His mom Danielle, with Claudio's support, apparently called U.S. Soccer executives that same day, and told them about an incident in Berhalter's past.

READ: GIO REYNA’S DAD CLAUDIO REPORTEDLY TRIED TO BLACKMAIL USMNT COACH GREGG BERHALTER DURING WORLD CUP

That led to an immediate investigation into past conduct, and a statement from Gregg explaining what happened.

On Thursday, Berhalter addressed the situation directly for the first time.

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 3: Greg Berhalter of the United States lines up for the national anthem before a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USMNT at Khalifa International Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Berhalter Wants to Remain Coach Despite Disagreements

According to Yahoo Sports, when asked about it, he said that his "entire family is saddened by these events."

He also expressed disappointment that the 1991 incident was made public, saying it was his wife's story to tell.

"The worst part of it for me is, my heart aches for my wife," he said. "Because it was her story to tell, if she chose to or not. That's what just really saddens me."

Berhalter clearly wants to continue coaching the U.S. team as they now move towards the 2026 World Cup. That tournament has been viewed as monumentally important for US Soccer, considering it'll be played in North America.

"It's a fantastic group of players. A super high potential in this group. And we're competing in the World Cup in North America in 2026. So it would be an amazing challenge for this team," he said.

He did also specifically say that he'd like to remain head coach moving forward. "So there's a lot of great challenges involved. And of course I'd like to continue in my role."

Importantly, he did also admit regret that he even told the story about Reyna not giving the proper effort. Berhalter explained he thought his comments would be off the record, and they were mistakenly sent out.

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have told that story . It brought too much unwarranted attention to an overall shining example of team culture and teamwork. So that would be something that I would go back and change, for sure."

What Happens Next?

It's hard to see how Berhalter remains USMNT coach going forward.

While the incident with his wife doesn't seem to rise to the level of disqualification, his relationship with the players has undoubtedly suffered.

Gio Reyna is expected to be a key part of the team over the next few years. It's hard to see how they ever re-establish a good working relationship given the split between their families.

Other star players might also, justifiably, be concerned that private issues could be made public. Although it's clear that Berhalter's learned a lesson from telling the Reyna story.

Berhalter was already not the most popular manager, shall we say, amongst the fan base, and the added baggage won't help.

If anything, it might give US Soccer Sporting Director Earnie Stewart an excuse to move on.

With a newly appointed interim manager for January, it could be a sign of things of more changes to come.