Federico Higuaín, a former Columbus Crew star who took over as Crew 2 head coach in January 2025, has been fired following allegations that he squeezed a female referee’s hand during a post-game handshake, refused to let go despite being asked three times to stop and made a sexist remark toward her. The Columbus Crew […]

Columbus Crew fires coach Federico Higuain for grabbing a female ref's hand and calling soccer a "man's game." Read the full story on the fallout.

Columbus Crew II have fired coach Federico Higuaín after he 'committed two deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism against a female official' during an MLS NEXT PRO match, according to The Professional Soccer Referees Association

Columbus Crew has taken further action against Federico Higuaín after the former Crew 2 coach became the subject of controversy following an alleged incident involving a female match official. The matter had already led to a two-game suspension from MLS NEXT Pro, but the controversy resurfaced after the Professional Soccer Referees Association publicly questioned the league’s handling of the case.

A coach in Major League Soccer (MLS) has been sacked after refusing to let go of a female referee’s hand while telling her: “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.”

Federico Higuain was suspended for two matches but the The Professional Soccer Referees Association said his punishment fell ‘drastically short’

The Crew organization announced Federico Higuain, who previously played for the club, is out after the referee union made an incident public.

The referees' union says a two-game ban is too light for a coach who called soccer a "man's game." Here is why the punishment must fit the crime.