Columbus Crew have sacked their reserve team coach, Federico Higuaín, after he allegedly grabbed a female referee’s hand and told her “don’t forget this is a man’s game”. The Major League Soccer club dismissed Higuaín from his responsibilities at the reserve team following conversations this week.
The club’s general manager, Issa Tall, framed the decision as a matter of internal standards. “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 incident took place during an MLS Next Pro league match on 23 August. Higuaín is alleged to have refused to let go as he squeezed the female official’s hand after being told to stop three times, and he was sent off for it. He was subsequently given a two-match ban.
The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) criticised that punishment as inadequate, arguing that a “forceful grab” warrants a three-game suspension and that MLS’s response fell “drastically short”. In its statement, the union described what it said happened: “A male head coach committed two deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism against a female official – squeezing her hand and refusing to let go after being told to stop three times. This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official: ‘Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.'”
The PSRA also issued a wider defence of women working in the game. “Women make every level of this game better. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it,” it 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.”
Higuaín, 41, is the brother of former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuaín. The attacker played in Argentina, Turkey and Mexico before joining Columbus Crew, where he made more than 200 appearances as a player. Columbus Crew did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Higuaín.