Columbus Crew dismisses reserve coach Federico Higuaín

Columbus Crew dismissed reserve-team coach Federico Higuaín after club general manager Issa Tall said the coach had not met the organization’s leadership standards. The move came after Higuaín served a two-game suspension for an incident involving a female referee, though the Crew did not explicitly link its decision to that episode. The incident occurred after the Aug. 23 MLS NEXT Pro match between Crew 2 and Huntsville City FC. The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) alleges that Higuaín squeezed the referee’s hand, continued holding it after she asked him three times to stop, and said, “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.” The allegations are attributed to the union and have not been independently established in the public information provided. MLS NEXT Pro imposed a two-game suspension and a restorative-practices process. Higuaín served the suspension, and reporting before the dismissal said he had returned to the Crew 2 sideline. Tall said the club decided it was in its best interest to dismiss Higuaín after conversations and further assessment of the past month. The club’s statement did not identify the referee incident as the specific basis for the firing.