Hirving “Chuckie” Lozano will not return to San Diego FC for a second season.
San Diego athletic director Tyler Heaps told reporters Friday that he is working toward the departure of Lozano, a 30-year-old Mexican national team mainstay who joined the Major League Soccer expansion club as its first designated player for its inaugural season in 2025.
Lozano scored nine goals in 27 games during the regular season and added two goals in the MLS postseason, but was benched at the end of the season after an altercation in San Diego’s locker room.
San Diego finished first in the Western Conference during the regular season and set MLS records for wins and points by an expansion team. Lost to Vancouver 1-3 In the conference finals, Lozano scored San Diego’s only goal.
“We have communicated with Hilving and his agent that he will not be participating in any future sporting plans,” Heaps said. “This was not a decision that was made lightly. It was a well-discussed decision from ownership to leadership to myself and (head coach) Mikey (Vallas), and it’s been communicated to the rest of the group. So we’re working with him and his representatives to find the best solution and the best environment for him going forward.”
Lozano left PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and signed a four-year contract with San Diego. He earned $7,633,333 last season, ranking fifth among all MLS players, complicating any potential transfer.
Heaps said Lozano’s ability to play the style San Diego wanted was a factor in the breakup. Although Lozano had his moments of success, Danish winger Anders Dreyer emerged as San Diego’s best player and focal point of the attack, scoring 19 goals and earning MLS Best Eleven honors as the league’s Rookie of the Year.
Lozano excelled at times in Varas’ possession-oriented style of play, but was left out of the squad for the final two games of the season amid reports of an altercation in San Diego’s locker room. Lozano vaguely apologized for his actions on social media, saying he was “proud to be part of the club’s journey for many years to come.”
However, Lozano returned to the roster primarily as a reserve during the postseason, and the club now moves forward without a key attraction in its attempt to tap into San Diego’s large Mexican-American population.
Asked whether the altercation in the locker room influenced the club’s decision, Heaps said: “There is no specific moment.” “This was a completely collective decision taken by us on behalf of the group. We are looking not just at short-term success but also at long-term and how this club is built for the future.”
Lozano is expected to be part of Mexico’s squad for this summer’s home World Cup, but will need to find a spot with a club quickly to gain the sharpness of his game to contribute.
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