Claudio Reyna resigns as Sporting Director of Austin FC amid US Soccer ‘blackmail’ controversy

Former midfielder Claudio Reyna, who is at the center of a scandal involving US Soccer and his wife, has resigned as Sporting Director of MLS side Austin FC.

The team announced Thursday afternoon that Reyna ‘was stepping’ down from the position and will transition into a Technical Advisor role. 

The club added that Reyna will remain in the Technical Advisor role to ‘ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities’, while Head Coach Josh Wolff, and Interim Sporting Director Sean Rubio will jointly assume additional day-to-day duties. 

Claudio Reyna has resigned as Sporting Director of MLS side Austin FC, the team announced

The former midfielder is at the center of a scandal involving US Soccer and his wife (right)

‘I am grateful that Anthony and the organization have given me the opportunity to scale back my role and responsibilities while continuing to contribute to the success of a club that I love,’ said Reyna. 

‘I take great pride in what we have accomplished but am looking forward to a less all-consuming work pace that still permits me to assist ongoing club development.’ 

Austin FC Majority Owner and Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Precourt said he was ‘grateful’ for Reyna’s service to the club. 

‘We’re grateful for Claudio’s contributions to both our Club and our community,’ said Precourt. 

Reyna said he ‘takes great pride’ in what the club has accomplished during his time in Austin 

‘Claudio has been committed to the cause of building a Club that inspires Austin, and he will remain in a position to contribute to our organization.’

While the scandal involving US Soccer was not mentioned in the lengthy press release from Austin FC, but rather framed the move as an amicable scaling back of duties, the news does come just weeks after the alleged ‘blackmail’ plot involving Reyna’s family.  

US Soccer is currently investigating allegations that Gregg Berhalter was ‘blackmailed’ amid a sensational dispute involving him and the family of US player Gio Reyna.

Earlier this month, Berhalter was forced to release a statement revealing he had kicked his now-wife Rosalind during a drunken row in 1991. He went public with the personal information ‘which a third party has used against my family and me.’ 

Gregg Berhalter was forced to release a statement revealing he kicked his now-wife Rosalind during a drunken row in 1991, claiming he was being ‘blackmailed’ with the information

Berhalter pictured with his wife Rosalind at the World Cup in Qatar back in December 

It was later revealed that, in response to Berhalter’s disparagement of Gio Reyna, Claudio’s son, during the World Cup, his mother Danielle Reyna notified US Soccer of the incident between the coach and Rosalind, her college roommate, in December. 

In a statement, Danielle admitted that she did make a call to US Soccer’s sporting director Earnie Stewart on December 11. 

US Soccer announced that Stewart was stepping down as sporting director to join Dutch team PSV Eindhoven Thursday.  

Gio Reyna was surprisingly used as a substitute by Berhalter at the World Cup, with the attacker widely expected to be a central figure for the team in Qatar. 

Danielle Reyna (left), with of Claudio, notified US Soccer of the incident in response to Berhalter’s disparagement of Gio Reyna during the World Cup in Qatar last month 

Gio Reyna was surprisingly given a limited role for the USA in their World Cup campaign 

Following the revelations, former USA international Eric Wynalda said he believes Berhalter had a vendetta against Gio because his own son, Sebastian, was moved on from Austin FC, while Claudio was director, after joining the team on loan. 

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter joined Austin in March 2021 but Austin declined the contract option to keep him. He left Austin in November 2021 and was traded to Vancouver Whitecaps in March 2022.

Sportsmail understands that Sebastian Berhalter left Austin on good terms. US Soccer has hired a legal team to conduct an investigation into what happened with Berhalter’s past and how it impacted the World Cup. 

Berhalter’s son Sebastian was once on loan at Austin during Claudio’s time as director