American former soccer player Danielle Reyna has been trending in recent news about her allegations about Gregg Berhalter, the coach who directed the United States Soccer Team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar! It is a big deal because Danielle Reyna was defending her son who is none other than the footballer: Gio Reyna.
Danielle Reyna: 12 Fascinating Things About The Mother Of Gio Reyna
1. Danielle Reyna was born on August 28, 1973:
Danielle Reyna played six times for the United States women’s national soccer team in 1993 a huge climb from her childhood playing for North Carolina Tar Heels under coach Anson Dorrance and alongside other prominent figures such as Tisha Venturini, Mia Hamm, and Kristine Lilly.
2. In 1993, Danielle Reyna hit her career best highlight:
Danielle Reyna played six games for the United States women’s senior team. On July 7, 1993, she made it 1-0 in a 6-0 win over Australia in Hamilton, Ontario.
3. In July 1997, Danielle Reyna married Claudio Reyna:
Claudio was back then a member of the United States men’s national soccer team.
Claudio Reyna, is a former USMNT player whose history in the football industry includes a stint with Glasgow Rangers, Manchester City and Sunderland. Currently, he serves as sporting director for Austin FC.
The couple have four children, one of whom died of cancer in 2012. The family lived in Bedford, New York for a long time until Argentina native but American born Claudio Reyna became sporting director at Austin FC in November 2019.
4. Danielle Reyna’s son is Giovanni Reyna:
You’ve seen this soccer player who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund but you’d never know the parents of Gio Reyna were Danielle and Claudio Reyna!
Given his considerable performance in the sports industry, Danielle and Claudio did not hesitate to support their son when he expressed his desire to become a professional soccer player. The couple share four children together, Gio being the second child of their marriage, the rest being Jack Reyna, Joah-Mikel Reyna, and Carolina Reyna.
During the World Cup in Qatar, Berhalter limited Reyna’s playing time, leading her mother, Danielle, to have a conversation with US Soccer CEO Earnie Steward.
5. Here’s why Danielle Reyna released Berhalter’s assault:
Danielle and Claudio Reyna Gio Reyna’s parents are very protective over their son. Perhaps this is why Giovanni Reyna’s mother admitted to being the person who disclosed personal details about Gregg Berhalter’s assault on Rosalind Berhalte – his current wife and Reyna’s best friend.
Giovanni Reyna in tears after being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup faced the wrath and aggression that the current coach of the United States National Team, Gregg Berhalter, had in 1991, towards what is currently his wife.
So the same patterns seem to be repeating according to Danielle, which is why with a statement published on social networks, Danielle, who also played for the North American women’s team, said that in retaliation for Berhalter’s actions towards her son and the few minutes of action Gio had at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, she decided to disclose the information.
6. Rosalind Berhalte was Danielle Reyna’s roommate and best friend:
Danielle had to support her through the trauma she experienced after Gregg Berhalter kicked her in 1991. Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate, and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed. It took me a long time to forgive and accept Gregg afterwards, but I worked hard to grace him and ultimately made both them and their children a big part of my family’s life, ” Gio’s mother revealed to The Athletic.
7. She protected Giovanni Reyna:
Apparently Danielle was not happy with Berhalter’s words after the elimination of the United States against the Netherlands in the 8th final, where the coach said that he was close to sending home a player from the national team due to his attitude inside and outside from the field, in reference to Giovanni Reyna although he never mentioned it.
After returning from Qatar Berhalter told a conference that one player on the team “was clearly not living up to expectations on and off the pitch”.
Later confirmed in an Instagram post, Gio Reyna publicly stated that Berhalter was talking about him.
“I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immature about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something much worse at the same age,” wrote the mother of the Borussia Dortmund player in her social media accounts.
In the text Danielle also assured that Rosalind, DT’s wife, was her friend and that she served as support in Gregg’s aggression during the dispute outside the bar, where he kicked her in the legs.
“Without going into detail, yesterday’s remarks significantly downplay the abuse of the night in question. Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate, and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed,” she added.
8. On the other hand, Claudio Reyna gets dragged into legal battles:
Claudio Reyna, Giovanni Reyna’s father, also issued statements to ESPN where he stated that during his internship in Qatar he expressed his annoyance at the situation with his son but denied having made any kind of demand. “While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son’s World Cup experience with several close friends, Earnie (Stewart) and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so,” he said. At the moment US Soccer has not ruled on the statements by Danielle or Claudio Reyna but the truth is that Gregg Berhalter’s statement, where he confessed to the physical assault in 1991 on his wife, gave rise to an investigation by a law firm.
9. Gregg Berhalter and his legal battle stoked by the angry Danielle Reyna:
Gregg Berhalter, the coach who directed the United States Soccer Team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, exposed a series of comments and threats about revealing one of his biggest secrets: a physical assault on his current wife, Rosalind Maria, in 1991.
As reported by The Athletic, Danielle and Claudio Reyna, parents of Gio Reyna, were responsible for providing this information to the United States Soccer Federation, which led to an independent investigation by US Soccer.
“In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate. I had barely turned 18 years old when I met Rosalind. We had dated for four months when an incident occurred. After going drinking in a bar, we had an argument that turned physical and I kicked her in the legs.
“There are no excuses for the behavior I had,” Berhalter confessed through a statement issued on social networks.
10. Danielle Reyna’s statements turn towards defending blackmail:
Throughout the days that followed, Danielle Reyna who brought up the subject of physical aggression against Rosalind was eager to deny that the conversation amounted to blackmail.
“I told US Soccer CEO Earnie Steward that it was unfair that Gio was dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing much worse at the same age. Without going into detail, yesterday’s remarks significantly downplay the abuse on the night in question.
11. Berhalter is now the former United States coach:
Berhalter was separated from the US team after he criticized Gio Reyna during the World Cup and the player’s mother, as revenge, has decided to uncover the coach’s history of domestic violence.
Danielle, who has known Gregg and Rosalind Berhalter for years, reportedly told the US Soccer Federation about the couple’s bar fight 31 years ago after Berhalter criticized her son ( US men’s national team midfielder Gio Reyna) for a lack of attitude after the World Cup.
The reports come a day after US Soccer revealed that it had hired an independent law firm to launch an investigation into Berhalter whose contract expired on December 31, 2022 and was considered one of the favorites to retain the job. However, the federation has announced that current assistant coach Anthony Hudson would lead the team during the January camp while a “technical review” of the team program was carried out.
That being said, Berhalter remains a candidate for the coaching job thanks to his liberation on March 13, 2023 a date on which the U.S. Soccer Federation concluded that U.S. Soccer was not held accountable wrongly for hiring him as the national team coach. The conclusions mean there is now no legal impediment for the dispute with Berhalter’s wife and what it means for his career.
12. In Danielle’s words of defense:
The mother of the young American footballer acknowledged that her public actions (about the incident that occurred on December 11, 1991) only followed after Berhalter made a comment. The moral leadership of criticizing a player without naming names was clearly referring to her son Gio Reyna.
“I wanted him to understand that I was completely angry and devastated, that he put Gio in a terrible position, and that I felt personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family has considered a friend for decades,” Danielle Reyna said in a statement.
After Berhalter’s statements, in which he admitted to having hit Rosalind that year, Danielle considered that the coach “significantly minimized the abuse on that night in question”, and indicated trauma.
Nonetheless, Berhalter’s wife and the coach have been together for a very long time.