By Adegboyega Adeleye
Columbus Crew have sacked reserve team coach Federico Higuain after making a sexist remark, in which he refused to release a female referee’s hand and told her, “Don’t forget this is a man’s game.”
According to the BBC, Higuain was sent off and handed a two-match suspension following the incident during an MLS Next Pro league match.
Higuain, the brother of former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, spent eight seasons as a player with Columbus Crew before moving into coaching.
Crew general manager Issa Tall said the club decided to dismiss Higuain after reviewing the incident and assessing the previous month.
“We determined it’s in the best interest of our club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities,” Tall said.
“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.”
The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), however, criticised the league’s response, saying Higuain’s two-match suspension “falls drastically short”.
The referees’ union said Higuain squeezed the female official’s hand and refused to release it after she told him to stop three times.
It added that the incident was compounded by his remark: “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.”
“Women make every level of this game better. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it,” the union said.
The PSRA also said female officials had demonstrated their excellence at the highest level of the sport and deserved the same respect, dignity and safe working environment as other officials.
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