Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew have dismissed their reserve-team coach Federico Higuaín following an incident in which he allegedly refused to release a female referee’s hand and made a sexist remark.
Higuaín, the brother of former Real Madrid and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuaín, was head coach of Crew 2, Columbus’ MLS NEXT Pro side, and had previously enjoyed a long playing career with the club.
The decision came after Higuaín was sent off and handed a two-match suspension for his conduct following Crew 2’s match against Huntsville City FC on August 23.
During the post-match handshake, Higuaín was accused of squeezing the female official’s hand and refusing to let go despite being told to stop three times.
According to BBC Sport, Higuaín was quoted as telling the referee: “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.”
Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall said the club had decided to end Higuaín’s tenure after reviewing the incident and assessing the situation over the previous month.
“We determined it’s in the best interest of our Club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities,” Tall said in a 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 (PSRA) had previously criticised Major League Soccer’s initial two-match suspension, describing the punishment as inadequate.
In a statement, the referees’ union said Higuaín had committed “two deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism” against a female official by squeezing her hand and refusing to release it after being told to stop three times.
The PSRA also criticised the alleged comment directed at the referee.
“Women make every level of this game better. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it,” the union said.
“Our female officials have proven their excellence on the world stage. They deserve the same respect, dignity, and safe working environment as every other official.”
The PSRA said the initial two-match suspension “falls drastically short” of what it considered appropriate.
Higuaín had returned to the sideline after serving the suspension and completing part of a required restorative-practices process before Columbus Crew decided to dismiss him.
Crew 2’s technical staff will take charge during the upcoming MLS NEXT Pro playoffs while the club searches for a permanent replacement.
