Photo via BBC Sport

MLS coach sacked after sexist remark to female referee

Columbus Crew dismissed reserve team coach Federico Higuain following an incident during an MLS Next Pro fixture where he held a female official's hand without consent and made a degrading comment. Higuain, brother to former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, had initially received a red card and a subsequent two-match suspension.

Crew general manager Issa Tall stated that the dismissal was necessary to uphold the club's leadership standards. Meanwhile, the Professional Soccer Referees Association condemned the two-game ban as wholly inadequate, arguing that the combination of physical intimidation and sexism warranted a much stronger punishment.