Columbus

Federico Higuain is fired from his job as coach of Crew 2

Source: Pipa didn't show "an accountability or a level of contrition that approached the seriousness of the transgression."

Michael Arace

23 Sep 2026 — 5 min read

Columbus Crew legend Federico "Pipa" Higuain during his playing days. He was known as "The Maestro." Photo by Hayden Schiff via Wikimedia Commons.

Federico Higuain, a Columbus Crew legend as a player, was fired as coach of the Crew 2 reserve team a month after a post-game incident involving a female referee. Higuain, 41, was informed early Tuesday afternoon that he had been fired for cause.

According to a Disrespected Media source familiar with the situation, the Crew had for a month been pondering this final step and, "through the process, there wasn't an accountability or a level of contrition (from Higuain) that approached the seriousness of the transgression."

The official statement from the Crew, released at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, was brief:

Higuain was in his second season as coach of Crew 2. The team finished atop the Northeast Division with a 12-9-7 record and will compete in the playoffs beginning next month.

Higuain did not return voice messages left by Disrespected Media.

"Deliberate acts of physical abuse and sexism"

The incident that led to his downfall occurred on Aug. 23 after an MLS NEXT Pro game versus Huntsville City. According to the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), which represents MLS and USL referees, Higuain forcefully grabbed the hand of a female referee and refused to let go "after being asked three times."

The PSRA said, "This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official, 'Don't forget that this is a man's game.'"

The PSRA weighed in on the situation over the weekend because it believed that the punishment handed down to Higuain – a red card and a league investigation, which led to a two-game suspension and participation "in a multi-session restorative practices process."

Caleb Pongratz of Spotrac was the first to report that Higuain was the coach involved in the incident. Jeff Carlisle of ESPN provided excellent reporting.

For a description of how this situation went from a month of relative quiet to a sudden scandal, what follows is a decent primer; it ran in this space on Monday:

Deliberate decision-making

According to the source, the Crew front office was informed of the PSRA's complaints 24 hours before the referees association went public on social media platforms. To that point, the Crew had been reliant on the league to investigate and mete out punishment. But once it went public ...

Sunday, Crew and Crew 2 supporter groups called for the immediate termination of Higuain's contract. I took a middle road, leaving room for redemption if it was possible:

"We need to hear from Higuain. ... We need the Crew to convince their fans, and everyone else, that they've done a proper investigation. And if there is more to this story, Higuain needs to be fired."

General manager Issa Tall and the Crew organization took a couple of days to conduct their own investigation. Actually, according to the source, what the team did was less an investigation and more a deep conversation, which at times included Higuain. Tall and his staff strove to be respectful of a well-liked man who has meant so much to the franchise.

What the Crew did ask for, perhaps even demand, was a public apology. To start. Higuain did not cooperate.

In the end, the Crew did the right thing. Did it take too long? Were they ultimately forced? In my BlueSky feed, fans were wondering.

A legacy tarnished

Higuain came to the Crew as a player during the 2012 summer transfer window. He was the third Designated Player the Crew ever signed, and his transfer fee ($650K) was a club record at the time. He was the heir to the incomparable Guillermo Barros Schelotto, another attacking midfielder out of Argentina.

Higuain played 210 matches for the Crew from 2012 through 2019, when he suffered a torn ACL – an injury which contributed to then-GM Tim Bezbatchenko's decision to decline the option on Higuain's contract. Bezbatchenko called it "one of the hardest decisions I've ever made."

Higuain is all over the Crew's record book: He ranks seventh in appearances (210, all competitions), fourth in goals (59, all comps) and is second in assists (69, all comps; Robert Warzycha still tops the team's all-time assists list with 71). He is the only player in franchise history with 50-plus goals and 50-plus assist in league play.

In the middle of his run with Columbus, Higuain led the Crew to the 2015 MLS Cup title game (they lost to Portland). Near the end of his run, as SaveTheCrew was fighting to prevent relocation to Austin, he helped lead the on-field team through one of the darkest hours in club history.

Higuain went on to play (and to jump-start his coaching career) with D.C. United and Inter Miami. In April of 2022, he returned to Columbus to sign a one-day contract so that he could retire as a member of the Crew.

“Home is where the heart is and my heart is forever in Columbus,” Higuain said that day.

There has been a thought that the Crew might waive one of their requirements for induction into the clubs Circle of Honor – the one about having to win at least one trophy – and enshrine Higuain next to Brian McBride, Frankie Hejduk, Sigi Schmid and Schelotto.

That thought must be gone now.

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