Columbus Crew Fire Reserve Coach Federico Higuain After Referee Incident

The MLS club dismissed the Argentine after he made a sexist remark to a female official and gripped her hand during an MLS NEXT Pro match.

Columbus Crew have fired Federico Higuain, an Argentine who coached the club's reserve side, following an incident with a female referee in an MLS NEXT Pro match. The Major League Soccer organization announced the move on Tuesday.

According to the Professional Soccer Referees Association, Higuain squeezed the official's hand and kept hold of it despite being asked three separate times to stop. The union said he then directed a sexist comment at her, telling her not to forget that the sport is a man's game.

The league had previously punished Higuain with a red card and a two-match ban, a sanction the union described as far too lenient while pushing for a suspension of six games or more. The union also stated that female officials have shown their quality at the highest level and are entitled to the same respect and safety as their peers.

General manager Issa Tall said the club concluded that parting ways with Higuain served the interests of the organization, its players and staff. He added that after discussions during the week and a review of the past month, the coach had fallen short of the standards demanded of someone leading one of the club's teams.

The Athletic, citing unnamed club sources, reported that Higuain showed no willingness to accept responsibility during follow-up meetings and did not issue a public apology. He is the brother of Gonzalo Higuain, the former Argentina and Real Madrid striker.