Columbus Crew expels Federico Higuain over assault and sexism

Federico Higuain, coach of Columbus Crew’s reserve side in Major League Soccer, will not keep his role. As Mundo Deportivo reports, the club has removed him permanently following incidents involving a female referee, including a sexist comment and inappropriate behavior.

Sacked after officials’ report

In a club statement, the Columbus Crew said it concluded—after “conversations this week” and a “more thorough evaluation of the last month”—that Higuain did not meet the requirements expected of a team leader. The club also stressed the move was made with “the club, the players and the coaching staff” in mind.

Sexist remark and alleged physical contact

Mundo Deportivo also cites the referees’ association, which claims Higuain told the referee: “Don’t forget this is a men’s sport.” The same source adds that the remark was accompanied by two deliberate acts of physical aggression: they allege he squeezed her hand tightly and refused to let go even after she asked him to stop three times.

The report notes that, at first, Federico denied what happened and the club only handed him a two-match ban. But after the referees’ statement, the MLS club has now made the decision to dismiss him immediately.

It’s a particularly sensitive outcome for the club’s fanbase, since, according to Mundo Deportivo, Higuain is well regarded at Columbus: he spent eight years as a player there before moving into coaching.