- Reyna agent criticizes report
- "Disheartening and grossly unfair" representation of family
- Lawyer denies claim that Claudio Reyna declined interview
WHAT HAPPENED? The report, put together by Alston & Bird, was commissioned by U.S. Soccer after the Reyna family revealed a decades-old domestic violence incident involving Gregg Berhalter to then-sporting director Earnie Stewart. It investigates Berhalter's past as well as the actions of the the Reynas, who frequently meddled with U.S. Soccer with regards to their son, Gio's career.
According to the report, the Reynas criticized the treatment and coaching of their son, while Claudio Reyna once made sexist comments about a female official in charge of one of their son's games. However, Segal said that he believes the report is too one-dimensional as he believes his clients weren't portrayed in the correct light.
WHAT THEY SAID: “U.S. Soccer is a small community," Segal said in a statement to The Athletic. "Anyone who knows the Reynas knows that they are kind, generous people who have devoted countless hours and energy to promoting U.S. soccer and to the welfare of so many fellow players, parents, coaches, administrators and others. They are also a tremendously loving family that was profoundly impacted by the terrible loss of their eldest son Jack to cancer in 2012 at the age of 13.
"Claudio and Danielle acknowledge that they have said and done things in the heat of the moment that they regret, particularly the statement that triggered the U.S. Soccer investigation. Gio acknowledges that, like countless players before, he showed too much disappointment when not selected to play at the World Cup."
AND WHAT'S MORE: Segal added: "That is only part of the story here, but the only side of the story that the investigators chose to tell. It is disheartening and grossly unfair to see the family turned into one-dimensional caricatures to progress a narrative that benefits others. Hopefully, as a U.S. soccer community we are better than that.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Segal also provided The Athletic with a statement from the Reynas’ lawyers, Anirudh Bansal and Bill Miller of Cahill Gordon, who said they can "confirm that Claudio did not refuse to be interviewed. In fact, he tried multiple times to arrange to provide information and to answer any/all questions and allegations.”
In an email to investigators, Bansal said that the claim Claudio Reyna refused to be interviewed was “a gross mischaracterization of our exchange".
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR USMNT? The U.S. will next take the field under interim coach Anthony Hudson as they continue their Nations League campaign against Grenada and El Salvador.