- Berhalter spoke at leadership conference
- USMNT coach critical of Dortmund star
- Mix-up saw interview published
WHAT HAPPENED? The USMNT plunged into controversy after the 2022 World Cup when Berhalter revealed he had considered sending a player home for not meeting expectations. He was quite clearly talking about Reyna. The Dortmund star subsequently reacted on social media, with the incident fueling a feud between Reyna's family and Berhalter that resulted in U.S. Soccer launching into an investigation into both parties.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Yet Berhalter's infamous comments only emerged due to a "breakdown in communication," as reported by Yahoo Sports. The coach was persuaded to drop in and participate in the HOW Institute for Society's Summit on Moral Leadership on his way home from the World Cup, and Berhalter believed the session worked under Chatham House Rule, which essentially forbids the public sharing of information.
The interview reportedly ended up being recorded after mix-up between a HOW Institute publicist and Charter CEO Kevin Delaney that mistakenly approved the talk as "on the record" - an error that Berhalter was not thought to be aware of at the time.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Berhalter went on to speak out about his consideration of sending a player home from Qatar with the belief that his comments would not be made public. Yet they subsequently appeared in a newsletter and Reyna was then identified as the player the manager was discussing.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? The USMNT is back in action on April 19 against Mexico in an international friendly.
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