Tag: gio reyna

Report: Borussia Dortmund decides to sell Gio Reyna

The USMNT midfielder’s time at Dortmund may be up

Gio Reyna’s time may be up for good at Borussia Dortmund.

According to a report from Bild, the Bundesliga side has decided to sell the U.S. national team midfielder this summer.

Dortmund’s call comes on the heels of a 2023-24 campaign in which the 21-year-old hardly saw the field. Reyna featured sporadically at Dortmund in the first half of the season before a disappointing half-season loan at Nottingham Forest.

Reyna looked like a future superstar early in his Dortmund career, but injuries and a lack of consistent starting opportunities derailed his progress at the Bundesliga power.

For his part, Reyna told The Athletic this month that he was unsure if he would stay at Dortmund in the upcoming season or look for a new club once again.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.”

Reyna struggled for playing time under Edin Terzić, but the manager stepped down earlier this month in a move that appeared to boost Reyna’s chances at Dortmund.

Nuri Şahin, who was an assistant under Terzić, has assumed Dortmund’s head coaching position.

Prior to joining Forest on loan, Reyna signed a contract extension with Dortmund through 2026.

[lawrence-related id=75258,74635,76867]

Boost for Gio? Terzic steps down as Dortmund head coach

The coach never seemed to fully trust the USMNT midfielder

Edin Terzić has stepped down as Borussia Dortmund head coach after two years in charge.

The move comes less than two weeks after Dortmund fell to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Bild has reported that ex-Dortmund midfielder Nuri Şahin, who served as an assistant under Terzić, is the clear favorite to take over as the club’s head coach.

“Edin Terzić leaves Borussia Dortmund. The coach, who won the DFB Cup with BVB in 2021, finished runner-up in the 2023 championship and reached the 2024 Champions League final, asked BVB to terminate his contract with immediate effect,” a club statement read.

“Borussia Dortmund agreed to the request after a joint discussion.”

Terzic added: “I feel that the club’s new era should begin with a new man on the touchline.”

The news could potentially be a boost to Gio Reyna, who will return to Dortmund ahead of the 2024-25 season after a disappointing loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Terzić never seemed to fully trust Reyna, who started just two games for Dortmund in the first half of the season before a midseason switch to Forest.

Terzić was reportedly unsatisfied with Reyna’s defensive effort, saying last year that “Gio still has many aspects to work on to become a more complete player.”

For his part, Reyna told The Athletic this week that he was unsure if he would stay at Dortmund in the upcoming season or look for a new club once again.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.

“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued.”

[lawrence-related id=75258,74216,41748]

Reyna: I want to go to a club where I feel valued

The USMNT star admitted he could leave Borussia Dortmund again this summer

Gio Reyna isn’t sure where he’ll be playing his club soccer next season, but he does know he wants to be somewhere he’s wanted.

The U.S. men’s national team star has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a disappointing loan at Nottingham Forest. After joining the Premier League side at midseason, Reyna played in 10 games, starting twice, while earning a total of just 230 minutes.

That followed a difficult first half of the campaign at Dortmund where Reyna also played sparingly.

That leaves the 21-year-old at something of a crossroads looking ahead to 2024-25. In an interview with The Athletic, Reyna admitted his spell at Forest “didn’t work out,” saying his short stint and the club being in a relegation battle didn’t help his cause.

“It didn’t go as planned. The goal was to go there and play games and get really consistent minutes but the club was under a lot of pressure and things happen,” Reyna said. “It’s never that simple, going on loan for three to four months.

“I was blessed to be at Dortmund for a few years, finishing top-five guaranteed and playing Champions League every year. At Forest, I saw the other side of it. It gave me a perspective of a different kind of football. One day, I’d love to go back to the Premier League, so to get a taste of that was also really valuable for me going forward.”

If he stays at Dortmund, Reyna will have to win over manager Edin Terzić should he wish to earn more playing time. That has proven to be a difficult task for the USMNT playmaker, who admitted he could play somewhere else come next season.

Wherever he goes, though, Reyna knows the most important thing is a goal that has proved challenging of late: consistent playing time.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.

“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued.”

[lawrence-related id=74635,74216,72622]

Reyna deletes comment on Bellingham Instagram post after backlash

Some Dortmund fans didn’t take kindly to Reyna’s comment on his friend’s post

Gio Reyna has deleted a comment on Jude Bellingham’s Instagram in the wake of Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s Champions League final.

Madrid star Bellingham posted a series of celebratory images after winning his first European title, with the caption: “CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!!! Siempre HALA MADRID!”

In the comments section, Reyna responded with three white heart emojis.

On one hand, the U.S. national team star’s response made perfect sense: Reyna and Bellingham are close from their time playing together with Dortmund, as the England midfielder even said last month that Reyna is his best friend outside of Real Madrid.

On the other hand, some Dortmund fans were perturbed by Reyna — at least in some way — appearing to celebrate Madrid’s victory in the final over his own team.

Reyna spent the first half of the 2023-24 season with Dortmund, making two appearances in the club’s Champions League campaign before a midseason loan switch to Nottingham Forest.

After a disappointing loan in England, Reyna will return to Dortmund ahead of the 2024-25 campaign with his future very much in the air.

Perhaps in response to the backlash, or with the hope of avoiding a greater one, Reyna eventually deleted the comment.

[lawrence-related id=74216,72622,55683]

Berhalter: Relationship with Gio Reyna in ‘much better spot’

It’s taken some time, but the USMNT coach says the pair are in a much better place

It has taken some time, but U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said that his relationship with Gio Reyna is in a much better place than it once was.

The pair were at the center of one of the biggest scandals in American soccer history, which came to life in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup.

After Berhalter played Reyna sparingly at the tournament, Reyna’s parents Claudio and Danielle attempted to get the coach fired by revealing the details of a 1992 domestic violence incident between Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind.

The attempt was unsuccessful, as Berhalter was ultimately re-hired as USMNT head coach last summer.

Berhalter and Reyna went through a period of not speaking, with the coach admitting last fall that the relationship would take some time to rebuild after he had finally reconnected with the Dortmund attacker.

Several months later, Reyna and Berhalter have been involved in a number of national team camps together, with Reyna again becoming an integral player for the USMNT.

Speaking to the Washington Post after including Reyna on his roster for pre-Copa América friendlies, Berhalter said that things were in a much better place between himself and the 21-year-old.

“We both used this time productively, to start to rebuild, to repair the relationship where we gain trust with each other again,” Berhalter said. “It did take time, but the relationship is in a much better spot.”

The U.S. will face Colombia on June 8 at Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) in the Washington, D.C. area, before taking on Brazil on June 12 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

After the match against Brazil, Berhalter will name his final 26-player roster for the Copa América, which kicks off on June 23 against Bolivia.

[lawrence-related id=30875,30655,30094]

Nottingham Forest confirms Reyna exit after disappointing loan

The attacker’s loan was unequivocally a major disappointment

The ill-fated Gio Reyna era at Nottingham Forest is officially over.

The Premier League club confirmed Reyna has returned to Borussia Dortmund after the expiration of a half-season loan that didn’t work out for any party involved.

Reyna joined at midseason looking for increased playing time after spending the first half of the season on the periphery at Dortmund.

Instead, the U.S. national team star hardly featured for the Premier League relegation-battlers, making 2023-24 essentially a lost season for one of American soccer’s biggest talents.

Reyna played in just 10 games for Forest, starting twice, while earning a total of just 230 minutes.

Reyna will return to Dortmund facing an uncertain future. He played just 360 minutes in the first half of the season under head coach Edin Terzić, who looks likely to stay next season after guiding the club to the Champions League final.

Prior to joining Forest on loan, Reyna signed a one-year extension of his Dortmund contract to take him through 2026.

Despite his lack of minutes at the club level, Reyna continues to be a valuable player for the USMNT. After calling Reyna into his roster for pre-Copa América friendlies, head coach Gregg Berhalter said the attacker wasn’t under any extra pressure after a disappointing club season.

“I don’t think there’s any added pressure for Gio. All he has to do is continue to do what he’s been doing with our team,” the coach said. “He’s performed extremely well over these last nine months and showing that he can be an important part of this team. If you look at the impact in the Nations League, it was really good and we’re expecting something similar in the summer.

“Our job as coaches is to put him in the best possible position to perform at a high level and we’ll use the training camp and the friendly games to prepare the entire team. We’re using the friendly games and the tournament as a measuring stick of what we can achieve together.”

[lawrence-related id=70651,72595,72578]

Report: Claudio Reyna pushed for Gio Reyna’s loan to Nottingham Forest

The former USMNT star lobbied for the loan, which hasn’t worked out for his son

Gio Reyna’s ill-fated loan to Nottingham Forest came about at least partially due to the encouragement of his father Claudio Reyna, according to a report from ESPN.

Reyna left Borussia Dortmund at midseason in search of more playing time, but the U.S. men’s national team midfielder has not succeeded on that front.

Reyna has appeared in 10 games for Forest, starting just twice, and has played only 230 total minutes for the club.

The 21-year-old will return to Dortmund after this weekend’s final round of Premier League matches, having played the same limited role in England that he did in Germany prior to the loan.

That was not the plan back in the winter, as Reyna looked for a temporary switch to boost his minutes and confidence.

According to ESPN, Reyna’s former agency Wasserman was not initially in favor of sending the midfielder to England, but his father pushed for the move to Forest.

Around the time of his loan move, Reyna switched agents from Wasserman to Jorge Mendes, who has a lengthy history of ties with Nottingham Forest.

The report is confirmation that ex-USMNT star Claudio Reyna is still actively involved his son’s career, even after a major scandal that broke last year — though advocating for a loan move is certainly a more conventional method of involvement than what was revealed in an investigation last year.

U.S. Soccer’s independent investigation concluded that Reyna had a “pattern of periodic outreach” to U.S. Soccer officials from 2016 through the end of 2022, which included attempts to influence federation decisions.

Most notably, Claudio Reyna and his wife Danielle leaked information to U.S. Soccer about a domestic violence incident involving USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter in retaliation for Berhalter’s treatment of Gio Reyna during the 2022 World Cup.

[lawrence-related id=70223,68944,30875]

Reyna has no Nottingham Forest future, according to least surprising report ever

It’s been a frustrating loan in the Premier League for the USMNT star

If it wasn’t already obvious, a report from Sky Germany has made it clear: Gio Reyna isn’t sticking around at Nottingham Forest past this season.

The U.S. men’s national team star has endured a frustrating half-season loan in the Premier League, featuring only sparingly for Forest after joining from Borussia Dortmund at midseason.

Reyna has appeared in 10 games for Forest, starting just twice, and has played only 230 total minutes for the club.

The 21-year-old’s loan did not include a purchase option, though Forest could have always made a bid for the midfielder at season’s end.

Per the report from Sky, though, the Premier League club has unsurprisingly decided that Reyna has “no future” there. The 21-year-old will return to Dortmund after this weekend’s season finale.

After he returns to Germany, Reyna will once again face an uncertain future. Sky’s report said that another loan next season is possible, which wouldn’t be a total surprise given that Edin Terzić — a manager who clearly doesn’t rate Reyna highly — is expected to return after guiding Dortmund to the Champions League final.

It has been a mostly lost season for Reyna, who hasn’t yet topped 600 total minutes between Dortmund and Forest.

With neither club looking to be a particularly great fit for Reyna at this point, the USMNT midfielder faces a crucial summer ahead.

[lawrence-related id=68944,61668,60666]

Reyna left out of pivotal Nottingham Forest clash with Chelsea

Reyna’s season to forget seems to be ending on a down note

Nottingham Forest went into a fight for its Premier League life without Gio Reyna.

The midfielder, on loan from Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, was not in uniform as Forest fell 3-2 to Chelsea Saturday in a game that could have sealed Forest’s place in the top flight.

It is not yet known if Reyna was dropped due to injury, illness, or some other reason. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo didn’t discuss the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s status ahead of the clash at City Ground.

With Luton Town and Burnley both losing earlier in the day, a single point would have mathematically guaranteed Forest a place in the 2024-25 Premier League.

However, Forest’s fumbling of a 2-1 lead in the second half means that Luton maintains a sliver of hope to catch up on the final day. With one match to play, Forest maintains a three-point gap, which is bolstered by a 12-goal advantage in terms of goal difference.

More bad news for Reyna

To say the least, Reyna’s deadline-day loan to the Premier League strugglers has not gone according to plan. The 21-year-old has appeared in 10 of a possible 17 competitive fixtures, starting just twice.

Despite producing an assist in his first start with the club, and a superb performance with the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League final, Reyna’s time in the East Midlands has done little to further his career. Reyna has compiled just 231 minutes for Forest, and has seemingly fallen out of favor in the season’s final days.

Following starts against Wolves and Everton in mid-April, Reyna’s share of the minutes in the Forest midfield have fallen off. He saw 16 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City before becoming an unused substitute for May 4’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United.

[lawrence-related id=61668,61076,60666]

Lalas: Nottingham Forest decided long ago it can’t count on Reyna

The USMNT star made his first start for Forest over the weekend

Gio Reyna may have finally made a start for Nottingham Forest, but that doesn’t mean the club believes it can count on him.

That is the opinion of Alexi Lalas, who spoke about the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s dire club situation on the latest episode of his State of the Union podcast.

Reyna finally made his first Premier League start over the weekend, notching an assist from a corner kick as Forest drew Wolves 2-2 in a vital match.

It took the American nearly three months of his loan from Borussia Dortmund to get his first start, having played a total of just 90 minutes for Forest prior to Saturday’s match.

Though Reyna has finally made a breakthrough, Forest now has just five matches remaining this season. As a disappointing loan stint gets set to conclude, Lalas didn’t mince words about the USMNT star’s situation.

“You don’t need me to tell you that Gio starting, and Gio playing after what has been an absolutely abysmal time in terms of this loan to Forest is a good thing. Yes it’s a good thing. Does it change who Gio is as a player? No. Does it change how Forest in general look at him going forward? No,” Lalas said.

“I think they have gotten plenty of looks at what Gio is. And I think they have made the determination long ago that this is not somebody for the long haul. Not somebody they want to count on.”

Forest will face Everton on Sunday in a crucial relegation six-pointer. Reyna’s side enters the match one point and one place above the drop zone, with Everton just one point and one place above Forest.

[lawrence-related id=61076,60666,55542]