Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew have sacked their reserve team coach after he refused to let go of a female referee’s hand and said “don’t forget this is a man’s game”.

Federico Higuain, brother of former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, was sent off and given a two-match suspension for the incident during an MLS Next Pro league match.

“We determined it’s in the best interest of our club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities,” Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a statement.

“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.”

Meanwhile, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) criticised the league’s response, saying Higuain’s two-game ban “falls drastically short”.

A statement from the referees’ union added: “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.

“This physical intimidation was compounded by a demeaning, sexist remark to the official: ‘Don’t forget, this is a man’s game.’

“Women make every level of this game better. They should not have to endure intimidation or degrading comments to prove it.

“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.”