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 announced Higuaín's firing on Tuesday, September 22, according to the Associated Press . The former professional player, 41, had previously received a two-game suspension over the August 23 incident.
columbuscrew2/Instagram
"We determined it's in the best interest of our club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities," Crew general manager Issa Tallsaid in a club statement . "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."
The Professional Soccer Referees Association previously described the encounter without naming Higuaín in a post shared on X on September 20.
The organization said a male coach squeezed a female official's hand and would not let go before telling her, "Don't forget, this is a man's game."
Dorn Byg/Cal Sport Media/Newscom/The Mega Agency
The PSRA criticized the original two-game punishment, saying it fell "drastically short of the right message to the participants, the referees, and the public."
"Women make every level of this game better," the organization said.
"They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it. Our female officials have proven their excellence on the world stage."
The organization added, "They deserve the same respect, dignity, and safe working environment as every other official."
Higuaín, the older brother of former Argentina and Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuaín , had coached Columbus Crew 2 since January 2025, according to ABC27 .
This story Professional Soccer Coach Fired After Being Accused of Telling Female Referee 'This Is a Man's Game' first appeared on First For Sports . Follow First For Sports on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
