Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Columbus Crew fired Federico Higuaín over an incident with a female referee
Former MLS striker Federico Higuaín has been fired as the manager of the Columbus Crew’s “B-team” over an incident with a female referee. Higuaín allegedly told the official that “this is a man’s game” while shaking her hand.
Federico Higuaín spent eight seasons with the Columbus Crew from 2012 to 2019 and retired as the club’s all-time assists leader with 63, and as the third-leading scorer in franchise history.
Federico Higuaín was fired as Columbus Crew 2’s head coach after forcefully gripping a referee’s hand and telling her “This is a man’s game”
Since January 2025, Higuaín was managing Crew 2, the club’s MLS Next Pro reserve team. The Argentinian was fired earlier this week, however, roughly a month after an incident with a female referee in which he forcefully gripped the referee’s hand and refused to let go despite being asked three times to stop, telling her, “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.”
Higuaín was immediately issued a red card and received a two-game suspension, in addition to mandatory restorative training sessions. The Professional Soccer Referees Association protested almost immediately, pointing out that U.S. Soccer guidelines call for a minimum three-game suspension for that kind of conduct and calling the penalty far too lenient given what it described as deliberate physical abuse and sexism.
“U.S. Soccer policy states a ‘forceful grab’ like this requires a minimum three-game suspension. Acts of discrimination also require a minimum three-game suspension. MLS NEXT Pro’s own manual also states that coaches are held to ‘a higher professional standard than players,’” the refs’ union said in a statement. “The League’s response falls drastically short of the right message to the participants, the referees, and the public. It needs to be reevaluated.”
Our statement regarding @MLSNEXTPRO and their handling of a recent disciplinary issue: pic.twitter.com/nk8qKpkSsL
— PSRA Officials (@PSRAofficials) September 20, 2026
Higuaín never issued a public apology, and the club ultimately cited his lack of contrition as contributing to their decision to fire him.
“The club believed the incident alone could have warranted termination, the source said. While the Crew supports the league’s restorative practices measure, it did not condone Higuaín’s behavior. As conversations continued, it became clear that Higuaín was unwilling to reflect or take accountability for his actions, nor did he offer a public apology after the PSRA’s statement. After discussions with Higuaín, the club determined it was time to move on.” [via New York Times]
During his playing career for the Crew, Higuaín logged 193 appearances and 55 goals before a final season in 2020 that he split between D.C. United and Inter Miami. He is the brother of Gonzalo Higuaín, who played for massive European clubs such as Juventus, Chelsea, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Napoli, and currently works as a player development coach for Inter Miami.