# Columbus Crew fires coach for sexism toward female referee

> MLS club dismisses reserve team coach after he grabbed a referee's hand and said the sport is 'a man's game'.
- Title: Columbus Crew fires coach for sexism toward female referee
- Summary: MLS club dismisses reserve team coach after he grabbed a referee's hand and said the sport is 'a man's game'. Sexist conduct and physical intimidation toward…
- Keywords: columbus crew, federico higuain, mls, mls next pro, female referee, sexism, coach fired, professional soccer referees association, women in sports, misconduct, sports, Columbus
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6lyr9z9gxwko
- Published: 2026-09-23T06:51:04.776+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: columbus crew, federico higuain, mls, mls next pro, female referee, sexism, coach fired, professional soccer referees association, women in sports, misconduct, sports
## Coach fired for sexist remark
Columbus Crew dismissed reserve team coach Federico Higuain after he grabbed a female referee's hand and told her 'don't forget this is a man's game' during an MLS Next Pro match.

> don't forget this is a man's game
## Initial punishment was lighter
Higuain was sent off and given a two-match suspension for the incident before the club decided to fire him entirely.
## Club cites leadership standards
General manager Issa Tall said the dismissal was necessary because Higuain's conduct failed to meet the club's standards for leaders.

> our club's standards of what's expected from a leader for one of our teams have not been met
## Referees union says ban too light
The Professional Soccer Referees Association criticized the two-game suspension as falling drastically short for deliberate physical abuse and sexism.

> falls drastically short
## Union defends female officials
The referees' union stated that female officials deserve the same respect and safe working environment as male officials and have proven their excellence at every level.

> Women make every level of this game better
## Key takeaway

Sexist conduct and physical intimidation toward female officials can result in termination, though some argue consequences should be stronger.