Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew fired its reserve team coach after he allegedly grabbed the hand of a female referee and told her “don’t forget this is a man’s game.” Federico Higuaín was sent off for the incident, which occurred during an MLS Next Pro league match, and later received a two-match ban. Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a statement: “We determined that it is in the best interest of our club, players and support staff to release Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities. Following discussions this week and a more detailed evaluation last month, our club’s standards for what is expected of a leader for one of our teams have not been met. Higuaín, brother of former Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuaín, is said to have refused to let go of him while squeezed the official’s hand after she was ordered to stop three times in a match on August 23. The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) said a “hard grab” requires a three-game suspension and criticized MLS’s response for falling “drastically short.” that they told him to stop three times. This physical intimidation was compounded by a sexist and degrading comment to the official: ‘Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.’ “Women improve every level of this game. They shouldn’t have to endure bullying or degrading comments to prove it. Our female officials have demonstrated their excellence on the world stage. They deserve the same respect, dignity and safe work environment as any other civil servant.” Columbus Crew did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Higuaín. The 41-year-old attacker played in Argentina, Turkey and Mexico before joining Columbus Crew, where he made more than 200 appearances.
