Columbus Crew Fires Reserve Coach Federico Higuaín After Incident with Female Referee
- On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the Columbus Crew fired Crew2 head coach Federico Higuain for cause following an internal review of his misconduct toward a female official during an August match.
- The Professional Soccer Referees Association reported that Higuain committed "deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism" against the official, including squeezing her hand and refusing to release it despite three requests to stop.
- During the incident, Higuain told the official, "Don't forget, this is a man's game," and the PSRA later criticized the league's initial two-game suspension as "too lenient" for such behavior.
- Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall stated the firing occurred because "standards of what's expected from a leader" were not met, while sources told ESPN that Higuain's "lack of contrition" and refusal to apologize contributed to the decision.
- Crew2 technical staff will manage coaching duties for the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs while the club searches for a permanent replacement, though the league's restorative practices process for Higuain remains underway.
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Columbus Crew fires Federico Higuaín, 41. He shouted to the referee that football is “a sport for men.”
MLS Coach FIRED After Reportedly Giving “Sexist” Remark To Female Referee, Here’s What He Said
This coach is probably now blackballed from ever coaching in Major League Soccer again. A reserve coach for the MLS club Columbus Crew has been canned after he reportedly made a “sexist” remark to a female referee. Reserve coach, Federico Higuain, was fired after he was suspended for two games by the MLS after he...
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Crew 2 coach axed after telling female ref it’s a ‘man’s game’
The Columbus Crew have fired Crew 2 head coach Federico Higuain over a sexist confrontation with a female referee last month. Higuain, a star forward for the Crew from 2012-19, has coached the franchise's MLS NEXT Pro affiliate since Jan. 29, 2025. During an Aug. 23 match against Huntsville City FC, Higuain "strongly" shook the
The CLUB confirmed his dismissal.
Columbus Crew fires reserve coach Federico Higuaín after incident with
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew fired reserve-team coach Federico Higuaín late Tuesday, following allegations of physical abuse and sexist conduct toward a female match official. Higuaín, the brother of former Argentina and
The Columbus Crew, Major League Soccer Club (Mls) has exempted the coach of the reserve team, Federico Higuaín, brother of the most famous Gonzalo. The decision arrived after the accusations of a sexist behavior directed to the technician against a female race officer during a recent match of the MLS Next Pro championship. The local media [...] L'articolo Federico Higuain chased by the Columbus Crew for a sexist comment: it's blizzard about Gonz…
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