Columbus Crew sacked Argentine reserve team coach Federico Higuain for telling a female referee “Don’t forget this is a man’s game” while refusing to release her from a handshake, the Major League Soccer club said Tuesday. “We determined it’s in the best interest of our Club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities,” said Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall.
Higuain, the brother of former Argentina and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain, had already received a red card and a two-match suspension for the incident before the team dismissed him.
“Women make every level of this game better. “Our female officials have proven their excellence on the world stage. They deserve the same respect, dignity, and safe working environment as every other official.” (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Higuain “committed two deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism against a female official, squeezing her hand and refusing to let go after being told to stop three times, according to the referees’ union. “This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official: ‘Don’t forget, this is a man’s game,'” said the Professional Soccer Referees Association. The union criticized the league’s initial two-game suspension as falling “drastically short,” and called for at least a six-game suspension. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it,” it said in a statement.
“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 incident occurred during a game in MLS’s developmental MLS NEXT Pro league.
Higuain during follow-up talks with the club was “unwilling to reflect or take accountability for his actions, nor did he offer a public apology,” the Athletic reported, citing anonymous club sources.
