Federico Higuain has been fired by the Columbus Crew after being suspended as the club’s MLS NEXT Pro coach following an incident with a female referee in August.
“We have determined that it is in the best interests of our club, players and support staff to remove Federico Higuain from his duties. After negotiations this week and a more detailed assessment of the past month, our club has not met the standards expected of a leader for one of our teams,” Crew general manager Jesus Tall said.
Crew 2’s coaching staff will take on additional responsibilities during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs while the search for a new full-time head coach begins, the club added.
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The Higuain incident came to light on Sunday after the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) issued a statement criticizing MLS NEXT Pro for what it believed was a two-game ban shortened after a male coach was penalized for forcibly shaking an official’s hand and telling a female referee that soccer is for men.
“During a recent MLS NEXT Pro match, a male head coach committed two intentional acts of physical violence and sexism against a female official – shaking her hand and refusing to let go after being told to stop three times,” the statement read. “This physical threat was combined with a derogatory, sexist remark to the officer: ‘Remember, this is a man’s game.'”
The PSRA contends that USA Soccer rules say a “forceful catch” by a coach results in a minimum three-game suspension.
Columbus Crew 2 head coach Federico Higuain during the game between Columbus Crew 2 and New England Revolution II. (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
(ISI Photos via Andrew Katsampes/Getty Images)
Higuaín was identified as the coach in question by multiple reports following the PSRA statement. According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, the incident happened after Crew 2’s loss to Huntsville City FC on Aug. 23. Multiple reports indicated that Higuain was suspended for Crew 2’s games on August 30 and September 4, although his suspension was not made public.
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MLS NEXT Pro said in a statement that it “immediately investigated the reported incident” and determined that the coach’s conduct “required additional discipline beyond a red card.”
In addition to his two-match ban, Higuain was required to undergo “multi-session rehabilitation practice”. MLS NEXT Pro said it was “confident” in the training, saying it was created “to support the League’s efforts to restore understanding, accountability, respect and relationships within the League.”
ESPN reported that Higuain showed “repentance” and refused to publicly apologize to the female referee.
On Monday, many female judges posted photos of themselves on Instagram with the message “We Belong” about the incident. Among the more prominent names sending the message is MLS referee Tori Penso, who became the first American woman to officiate at the FIFA World Cup this summer.
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Higuain, who is from Argentina, played in “Columbus” in 2012-19. The 41-year-old spent time as head coach of Inter Miami II before joining Crew 2 in 2025.