Columbus Crew 2 fires head coach Federico Higuaín after incident with female referee

Federico Higuaín has been fired by the Columbus Crew after the club’s MLS NEXT Pro coach was suspended following an August incident with a female referee. “We determined it’s in the best interest of our Club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities. 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,” said Crew general manager Issa Tall in a statement. The club added that the Crew 2 technical staff will take on additional responsibilities during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs as the search for a new full-time head coach begins. The incident involving Higuaín came to light on Sunday following a statement from the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) criticizing MLS NEXT Pro for issuing what it believed was a shortened two-game suspension after a male coach was punished for forcefully shaking the hand of the official and telling the female referee that soccer was a man's sport. "During a recent MLS NEXT Pro match, 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," the statement said. "This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official: 'Don't forget, this is a man's game.'" U.S. Soccer guidelines say the coach's "forceful grab" should have resulted in a three-game suspension at minimum, the PSRA argued. FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 10: Columbus Crew 2 head coach Federico Higuain during a game between Columbus Crew 2 and New England Revolution II. (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos via Getty Images Higuaín was identified as the coach in question by multiple reports in the wake of the PSRA statement. According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle , the incident occurred after Crew 2's loss to Huntsville City FC on Aug. 23. Multiple reports indicated Higuaín was suspended for Crew 2's games on Aug. 30 and Sept. 4, though his suspension was not publicly announced. In a statement, MLS NEXT Pro said it "immediately investigated the reported incident" and determined the coach's behavior "warranted additional discipline beyond the red card" issued. In addition to his two-game suspension, Higuaín was required to take a "multi-session restorative practice" training. MLS NEXT Pro said it is "confident" in the training, saying it was created "to support the League's efforts to foster understanding, accountability, respect, and the restoration of relationships across the League." ESPN reported that Higuaín showed a “lack of contrition” and refused to issue a public apology to the female referee. On Monday, multiple female referees posted photos of themselves on Instagram with the message "We Belong," in apparent reference to the incident. Among the more prominent names to post the message was MLS referee Tori Penso, who this summer became the first American woman to officiate at the FIFA World Cup. Higuaín, who is from Argentina, played for Columbus from 2012-19. The 41-year-old coach spent time as the head coach of Inter Miami II before joining Crew 2 in 2025.