{
  "id": 9203512,
  "title": "Higuain fired by Columbus Crew 2 after alleged incident with female ref",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/higuain-fired-by-columbus-crew-2-after-alleged-incident-with-female",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T21:32:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/higuain-fired-columbus-crew-2-213244534.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Federico Higuain has been dismissed from his managerial role with Columbus Crew 2 following an alleged altercation with a female referee, according to the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA). The incident allegedly occurred after a match against Huntsville City on August 23, where Higuain was accused of holding on to the official's hand and telling her, \"Don't forget, this is a man's game.\" The PSRA expressed disappointment in U.S. Soccer's adherence to policies and reported the matter publicly, leading to a two-match suspension for Higuain. Columbus Crew 2 confirmed the suspension and announced the club's decision to terminate Higuain's contract, stating that his actions no longer met the club's expectations for leadership. Higuain, who had a successful playing career with Inter Miami and Columbus Crew, currently holds the club's fourth position in all-time scoring, second in assists, and seventh in appearances. He recently coached the team's MLS NEXT Pro squad before his dismissal.",
  "summary": "The Crew organization announced Federico Higuain, who previously played for the club, is out after the referee union made an incident public.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Former Crew star Federico Higuain suspended as Crew2 coach for incident with female referee",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/former-crew-star-federico-higuain-suspended-as-crew2-coach-for",
        "published": "2026-09-21T15:40:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}