The Crew have decided to replace former star player Federico Higuain as Crew 2 head coach following allegations from an officials' union that led to his suspension by MLS NEXT Pro that Higuain grabbed and insulted a female official during a match.
According to a complaint by the Professional Soccer Referees Association that was made public Sept. 20, the incident occurred in a Aug. 23 game against Huntsville City FC. Higuain is accused of squeezing a female official's hand and not letting go despite being told three times to stop. He's also accused of telling the official: "Don't forget, this is a man's game," which the PRSA's statement described as "demeaning" and "sexist."
The incident was investigated by MLS NEXT Pro, which led to Higauin receiving
a two-game suspension that he'd already served prior to the Crew's decision to fire him. He'd already returned to the sidelines.
“We determined it’s in the best interest of our Club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuaín from his responsibilities," Crew general manager Issa Tall 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.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Crew fire former player Federico Higuain after alleged abuse of official
