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Higuain fired by Columbus Crew 2 after alleged incident with female ref
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- Higuain fired by Columbus Crew 2 after alleged incident with female ref
Federico Higuain is no longer the manager of Columbus Crew 2, the organization announced Tuesday, Sept. 22, two days after the Professional Soccer Referees Association published a complaint about how a post-match incident of abuse toward a female official was handled.
The complaint didn't name Higuain, but multiple media organizations were able to ascertain his identity, with the Crew confirming that Higuain was suspended for two matches after the altercation. The PSRA complaint alleged that after an Aug. 23 match against Huntsville City, Higuain held onto the female official's hand and refused to let go and also told her, "Don't forget, this is a man's game."
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After a two-match suspension, the PSRA went public with its frustration that U.S. Soccer policies were not followed, and the Crew 2 supporters' group published a statement of its own saying the Crew legend should no longer have any association with the club. While Higuain initially returned to the touch line, the club now has now decided to move on from the 41-year-old.
"We determined it's in the best interest of our Club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities," Issa Tall, the Crew's general manager, said in a news release. "After conversations this week and further assessing the past month, our Club's standards of what's expected from a leader for one of our teams have not been met."
Higuain returned to Columbus to coach the team's MLS NEXT Pro squad after playing eight years with the first team. He currently sits fourth on the club's all-time scoring chart, second in all-time assists and seventh all-time in appearances.
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He finished his playing career alongside his brother, Gonzalo, with Inter Miami , and started his coaching journey there before moving to Columbus.
Crew 2 finished fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro's Eastern Conference and will begin playoff play in October.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Higuain fired by Columbus Crew 2 after alleged incident with female ref
