Columbus Crew dismiss reserve coach Federico Higuain after incident with female referee

Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew have fired their reserve team coach after an incident in which he would not release a female referee's hand and told her, 'Don't forget this is a man's game.' Federico Higuain, the brother of former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, was sent off and handed a two-match suspension over the episode in an MLS Next Pro match. Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a statement: 'We determined it's in the best interest of our club, players, and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities.' Tall added: '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.' In response, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) faulted the league's punishment, saying Higuain's two-game ban 'falls drastically short'. The union's statement said: 'A male head coach 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.' It continued: 'This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official: Don't forget, this is a man's game.' The PSRA added: 'Women make every level of this game better. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it.' It also said: '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.'