Columbus Crew dismiss reserve coach Federico Higuain over referee incident
The short version
- Columbus Crew sacked reserve team coach Federico Higuain.
- Higuain received a red card and a two-match ban for the incident in an MLS Next Pro match.
- He refused to release a female referee's hand after being asked to stop and made a sexist remark.
- GM Issa Tall said the club's leadership standards were not met.
- The PSRA said the two-game suspension falls drastically short.
The MLS club parted ways with the former player after he grabbed a female referee's hand and made a sexist remark during an MLS Next Pro match.
Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew have dismissed reserve team coach Federico Higuain following an incident during an MLS Next Pro league match. Higuain, the younger brother of former Real Madrid and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, was sent off and suspended for two matches after refusing to let go of a female referee's hand.
According to the referee's account described by the players' union, the coach squeezed the official's hand and continued holding it after being told to stop three times. He then told her, "Don't forget, this is a man's game."
Crew general manager Issa Tall announced the dismissal in a statement, saying the club had determined the move was in the best interest of the club, its players and support staff. Tall added that after conversations during the week and a review of the past month, the standards expected of a leader of one of the club's teams had not been met.
The Professional Soccer Referees Association criticized the league's punishment, arguing that a two-game suspension falls drastically short. The union said the female official was subjected to deliberate physical abuse and sexism, and called for women officials to receive the same respect and safe working conditions as all other officials.