Posted by Chinenye on Wed 23rd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Columbus Crew has fired reserve team coach Federico Higuaín after an incident involving a female referee following a match.
(Federico Higuaín. Photo Credit: NZ Herald)
A soccer coach named Federico Higuaín has been fired from his job.
He was the coach of Columbus Crew's reserve team, which is their second team.
Higuaín was fired after an incident that happened on August 23rd after a soccer match.
During the handshake after the game, Higuaín squeezed the female referee's hand and refused to let go.
The referee told him to stop three times, but he would not release her hand.
While squeezing her hand, Higuaín also said something mean to the female referee.
He told her, "Don't forget, this is a man's game."
This is a sexist remark because it suggests that women do not belong in soccer.
After the incident, Higuaín was sent off the field and given a suspension that meant he could not be on the sidelines for two matches.
However, the club decided that this punishment was not enough.
The general manager of Columbus Crew said the club's standards require its leaders to behave better and show more respect.
The organization that represents soccer referees said that the two-match suspension was way too light for what Higuaín did.
They said he committed two deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism.
They said female referees deserve the same respect and safe working conditions as male referees.
They pointed out that women make soccer better at every level.
Higuaín is the brother of a famous Argentine soccer player named Gonzalo Higuaín who played for Real Madrid and Argentina.
The club will have other coaches run the reserve team while they look for a new permanent coach.