Sports

The Verde Report: Claudio Reyna’s Future With Austin FC Uncertain After Ugly USMNT Scandal

Let’s hold our noses and review the madness


The incestuous oligarchy of U.S. Soccer was struck studs up last week by an ugly, rotten scandal the likes of which used to make my grandmama change the channel on her bedtime telenovelas. At the center of the saga – which would feel much sadder if it weren't so rip-your-hair-out infuriating – is Austin FC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna, the man responsible for assembling the roster of players that have not only stolen the hearts of Austinites over the past two seasons, but also turned ATXFC into a bona fide MLS force on the pitch. Despite that success, Reyna's leading role in this winter's Golden Raspberry-worthy drama show gives Austin FC brass no choice but to reevaluate his appropriateness for the sporting director post.

Let's hold our noses and review the madness. Shortly before the World Cup, Claudio Reyna's son Gio – the exciting but oft-injured 20-year-old American soccer star – was informed by U.S. national team coach Gregg Berhalter that his playing time in Qatar would be limited, to which he responded by reportedly acting like a petulant child in training and nearly getting himself sent home. Berhalter, without naming Gio Reyna specifically, detailed as much during a December leadership conference that he had trusted, foolishly, to be "explicitly off the record."

Several days later, Berhalter released a statement on Twitter claiming that "an individual contacted U.S. Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would 'take me down.'" That information, Berhalter explained, concerned a 1991 altercation between Berhalter and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Rosalind, during which Berhalter admitted to kicking her in the legs.

The next day, January 4, we learned the identity of the individual – or individuals – responsible for disclosing the account of the decades-old assault. Yep, the Reynas, who, suffice to say, did not take kindly to their son's treatment during and after the World Cup by Berhalter, a longtime family friend and former teammate of Claudio's both at club level in Germany and with the national team. To weaponize private information about a serious domestic assault out of spite, simply because one's son was put on blast for being an unprofessional brat, is worse than helicopter parenting gone wrong … it's downright offensive.

Reports conflict about exactly how – and, more importantly, by whom – that information was relayed to U.S. Soccer officials. ESPN, which broke the story initially, cites multiple sources who claim Claudio Reyna himself "threatened to share allegations about Berhalter's past," a claim which Claudio Reyna denies. Meanwhile, a report by The Athletic included a statement provided to them by Danielle Reyna – Claudio's wife and Gio's mother – in which she takes full responsibility for disclosing the story, independently of Claudio. The ESPN report does not specify which Reyna parent literally spoke the story to a U.S. Soccer executive, only that the information was relayed on a call with both Claudio and Danielle.

We're therefore left with no choice but to draw our own conclusions about how to distribute the blame and to wonder about possible concerted efforts by a family to sacrifice the image of one parent to save the image of the other. Which brings the matter back to Austin FC, the collateral damage victims of this entire saga.

Rightly or wrongly, the club now has to answer for the actions of its front office frontman. It has so far chosen to do the exact opposite, declining to provide a comment for this column or respond to any questions concerning Reyna and his future with the club. However, that's not entirely out of character for how Austin FC has handled sensitive issues in the past. The club previously parted ways with a PA announcer after many fans called for his termination due to an insensitive tweet regarding unhoused people. And last year, when then-Designated Player Cecilio Domínguez was at the center of his own of domestic violence controversy, Austin FC kept the Paraguayan sidelined until eventually mutually agreeing to terminate his contract. In both cases, official word from the club was scarce.

Of course, the silence could also mean Austin FC ownership is simply hoping the controversy blows over by February 25, when the Verde and Black kick off their third season against expansion side St. Louis City at Q2 Stadium. That kind of thing might work in some MLS markets, but forgive and forget is not the way of Austin FC fans. Their collective stance, whatever it may be, will likely have a direct influence on how the club navigates its future with Reyna.

But unlike the club's previous controversies, Reyna's situation goes beyond a referendum on his character. It is also a referendum on his fitness for the position. Reyna's judgment and temperament must now both come into question. His trustworthiness with confidential information, something paramount for a general manager engaging regularly in private negotiations, is compromised. Even his understanding of coaching personnel decisions – something you'd imagine a two-time World Cup captain would know inside and out – is uncertain. Speaking of coaches, Reyna's family has put Austin FC coach Josh Wolff, a former Berhalter assistant with Columbus Crew and the national team, in an impossible position between his professional partner and his personal mentor.

Add onto all of that the fact that Austin FC is now optically tied to the Berhalter-Reyna conflict for as long as it remains tied to Reyna himself, and the club must decide if cutting ties with the entire Reyna family (which may include Joah Reyna, Claudio's youngest son and a promising youth player in Austin FC's Academy) is best for the club's future. It's certainly hard to imagine that the Reyna juice is worth this hard a squeeze.

Read more Austin FC coverage at austinchronicle.com/austin-fc.

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KEYWORDS FOR THIS STORY

Austin FC, The Verde Report, Claudio Reyna, Gio Reyna, Danielle Reyna, Gregg Berhalter, Josh Wolff

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