Zinedine Zidane rejects USMNT interest amid Gregg Berhalter drama

The latest USMNT drama continues to take unexpected turns.

With out-of-contract Gregg Berhalter’s status in limbo as U.S. Soccer investigates an incident from college in which he admitted he kicked his wife in the legs, the USMNT approached former France star and ex-Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane about their coaching job, according to ESPN. Zidane, 50, rejected the approach.

According to CBS Sports, Zidane has also rejected Brazil and Portugal advances and intends to one day manage his home country, France.

France has been managed by Didier Deschamps since 2012, and he recently inked an extension that will take him through 2026.

Zidane retired from his playing career shortly after the 2006 World Cup, where he became infamous to soccer casuals for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the tournament. Zidane became a manager in 2013 and has had a wildly successful run with Real Madrid, winning three UEFA Champions League titles from 2016-18, La Liga championships in 2017 and 2020, and the FIFA Club World Cup in both 2016 and ’17.

The failed Zidane approach arrives amid a tumultuous time in U.S. men’s soccer, where Berhalter’s departure came after an alleged blackmail attempt by Danielle Reyna, the wife of former USMNT star Claudio Reyna. Both of whom are the parents of current team standout Gio Reyna, who played sparingly during the 2022 World Cup.

Reyna subsequently played just over 50 minutes in total — seven of those minutes were in group play before starting the second half of the USMNT’s team round of 16 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.

Danielle Reyna exposed the 1991 incident where Berhalter kicked his then-girlfriend and now-wife Rosalind in a dispute while the most recent U.S. men’s national team coach was 18 years old.

Danielle admitted informing U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart of the incident on Dec. 11. Berhalter attempted to get out in front of accusations with a statement on Tuesday, saying someone threatened to “take me down.”

Berhalter said the kick stemmed from an argument that got physical.

“Rosalind was and is an amazing person — determined, empathetic, fun to be around — and we connected immediately,” he acknowledged. “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. 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.”

“There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day. At that time, I immediately apologized to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. I told my parents, family, and friends what happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behavior. Rosalind also informed her parents, family, and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counseling to learn, grow and improve — one of the most valuable decisions that I ever made. To this day, that type of behavior has never been repeated.”

Team USA released its own statement in which it said it hired the firm Alston & Bird to investigate the incident.

Danielle Reyna said she told Stewart about the incident after critical comments from Berhalter about her son Gio were made public.

While Berhalter told the HOW Institute for Society’s Summit on Moral Leadership that an anonymous player was almost sent home for “clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field,” Gio Reyna later confirmed in an Instagram post he “let my emotions get the best of me” after being informed his World Cup role would be limited. He also expressed displeasure about Berhalter not keeping matters “in-house.” US Soccer had said Berhalter’s comments at the summit were meant to be off the record.

ESPN also reported Claudio Reyna threatened to share allegations about Berhalter, a claim Reyna denied.

Berhalter’s deal officially expired with the USMNT at the end of 2022, but even with the investigation ongoing, he said he wishes to remain the team’s coach. The USMNT continues to work toward a resolution as the cycle for the 2026 World Cup gets underway.

The U.S. will co-host that tournament with Mexico and Canada. Anthony Hudson will coach the USMNT at their California camp ahead of a Jan. 25 friendly against Serbia and a Jan. 28 friendly against Colombia.