Columbus Crew dismiss reserve coach Higuaín over referee incident

Columbus Crew have dismissed Federico Higuaín as coach of their reserve side after he was accused of grabbing a female match official by the hand and making a remark about the game belonging to men, according to Guardian US Sport.

The episode unfolded during a fixture in MLS Next Pro, the league that sits beneath Major League Soccer's top flight, and led to Higuaín being sent from the touchline before the final whistle.

Major League Soccer subsequently handed him a suspension of two matches, a punishment that drew criticism from the officials' union, which felt the sanction did not match the seriousness of what was alleged.

Columbus Crew moved separately from that disciplinary process to end his employment this week. General manager Issa Tall said the club had weighed conversations held in recent days alongside a broader review of the past month before reaching the decision.

Tall said the organisation concluded it was best for the club, its players and its staff to part ways with Higuaín, adding that the standards expected of anyone leading one of the club's teams had not been met.

The move leaves Columbus Crew needing to appoint a new coach for their reserve team, which competes in MLS Next Pro as part of the pathway MLS clubs use to develop younger players below first-team level.

No further comment from Higuaín was included in the reporting, and MLS has not indicated whether the length of his ban will be reviewed in light of the criticism from the referees' union.