Federico Higuain

Introduction

Federico Higuain is a former Columbus Crew 2 head coach — and one of the most decorated players in the club’s modern history — who was fired in September 2026 over his treatment of a female referee, after the Professional Soccer Referees Association publicly condemned a post-match incident in which he refused to let go of the official’s hand despite three requests and told her, “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.” The 41-year-old Argentine had already served a two-match suspension and a restorative-practices program for the August 23 incident; the club dismissed him days after the union’s statement made the case public.

Background Information

Higuain is a Columbus legend: across eight seasons he made 193 appearances for the Crew’s senior team from 2012 to 2019, and he played in MLS from 2012 with Columbus, D.C. United and Inter Miami. He moved into coaching in 2021, working through the Inter Miami academy, as Inter Miami II assistant, then Inter Miami II head coach, before leading Columbus Crew 2 — the club’s reserve team in MLS NEXT Pro — in 2025 and 2026. He is the brother of longtime striker Gonzalo Higuain. Crew 2 finished fourth in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro standings with 48 points from 28 matches.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

After Crew 2’s August 23, 2026 loss to Huntsville City FC, Higuain was shown a red card for the post-match handshake incident. Per the referees’ union’s account, he squeezed the female official’s hand and refused to release it despite being asked to stop three times, then delivered the remark: “Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.” The union described “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,” adding that “this physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark.” MLS NEXT Pro handled the matter quietly: a two-match suspension (an extra game added for the red card) and a required multi-session restorative-practices process — discipline that was not made public at the time. Higuain served it and returned to coach three more games.

On September 20, 2026, the Professional Soccer Referees Association went public with its complaint about how the incident had been handled, criticizing a ban it viewed as too light; the statement did not name Higuain, but multiple outlets identified him and the Crew confirmed the suspension. The Crew 2 supporters’ group published its own statement saying the club legend should no longer have any association with the club. Two days later, on September 22, Columbus announced the dismissal. General manager Issa Tall said: “We determined it’s in the best interest of our club, players, and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities. 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.” A source told ESPN the club was frustrated by a lack of “contrition” from Higuain.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The union’s statement reframed the incident from an on-field discipline problem into an employment-policy failure, arguing female officials “deserve the same respect, dignity, and safe working environment as every other official” and should not “have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove” their worth. The publicized leniency — a two-game ban for physical intimidation and sexism, quietly served — drew scrutiny to MLS NEXT Pro’s handling before the club’s firing effectively reset the consequence. The supporters’ statement made clear a section of the fanbase would not accept his return to any club role, and the club’s own statement cited leadership standards falling short.

Current Status

Higuain was dismissed from Columbus Crew 2 on September 22, 2026, and the fetched record shows no subsequent coaching appointment. No lawsuit or appeal by Higuain appears in the fetched reporting, and no public apology to the referee was issued by him in the documented record.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The firing severed a twenty-year Columbus association in a single week: a player whose name is synonymous with the club’s MLS era was dismissed from its sideline after the referees’ union forced the incident into daylight. For Higuain, whose coaching ascent had run through the Inter Miami academy system to a head-coach post in his former club’s reserve team, the case now attaches to his name the union’s characterization — physical abuse and sexism toward an official — alongside the club’s judgment that he had shown too little contrition to keep any leadership role.

Sources

• Yahoo Sports / The Mirror US, “MLS team fires coach after ‘man’s game’ comment toward female referee,” September 2026 — source
• Yahoo Sports, “Higuain fired by Columbus Crew 2 after alleged incident with female ref,” September 2026 — source
• WHBL / Field Level Media, “Crew 2 coach axed after telling female ref it’s a ‘man’s game’,” September 2026 — source