Mexico star Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano reveals the real story behind his nickname, how Carlo Ancelotti drew him to Napoli, Luciano Spalletti trying to ‘harness the little devil on my shoulder’ and the injury that could’ve killed him.
Lozano is preparing to participate in the 2022 World Cup with Mexico, interrupting a season where he is top of the Serie A table and Champions League group with Napoli.
He earned the nickname El Chucky after the evil toy doll in the movie Child’s Play because of his love for playing pranks on teammates, but it comes from far earlier than people expected, back from when he was only 10 years old.
“But the name was never meant as an insult. One day, during the first week I was there, a couple of my teammates came up to me like, ‘Hey, y’know, we were thinking … would it bother you if we called you Chucky?’
They actually came to ask my permission! And I was like, ‘I don’t have a problem with that.’ I mean, it could be worse, right?” he told The Players Tribune.
“And from that moment on, it just stuck. Depending on where I am in the world it gets pronounced differently. In Naples, I’m used to hearing ‘Choccy’ or even ‘Cookie’ haha! To this day, there are people who never use my real name — I think the president of Pachuca didn’t even know it! I was just Chucky Lozano.”
The Mexico international moved from Pachuca to PSV Eindhoven and in 2019 received a call from Napoli coach Ancelotti.
“When I heard the name, man, it blew my socks off. You see, Ancelotti had been working as a pundit for Televisa in Mexico during the World Cup and had seen my goal. He wanted me to come join him at Napoli.
“During the 2018–19 season, I would get calls from him every week. When I got injured, he would ask after me, ‘How is your knee doing? How is the recovery going?’
“That’s just the way he is. When he asked me to come to Napoli, how could I say no? You already know Ancelotti. He’s a great coach, but he’s an even better person.
“My first night in Italy he took me and my family to dinner with his whole family. And I mean his whole family — he even brought his grandkids. That meant everything to me, because I think sometimes people don’t realize how tough it is to change countries as a footballer. Especially for Latin Americans, when the culture in Europe is so different and you are so far from family. But Ancelotti just had a way of making you feel at home. That humanity stayed with me.
“It was a shock when he was sacked after a few months of tough results. And to be honest with you, I struggled mentally that first season. I was in and out of the team and things became difficult.”
When the COVID pandemic hit, Lozano was stuck in Naples for three months and banned from travelling to see his wife and children in Mexico.
“I’ve had other great coaches that I’ve learned a lot from. Very different characters like Gattuso (the man wants to live at 100 miles an hour) and Spalletti, who tries to harness that little devil that sits on my shoulder.
“The passion the fans have here in Napoli is incredible. I can’t possibly explain it. The way they go all out for their team … as a player, it just fills you with energy and pride. There’s pressure, too, but by now I’m used to it. I enjoy it.”
Lozano also discussed the horrific injury he sustained playing for Mexico against Trinidad and Tobago, when accidentally smashed in the head by the goalkeeper’s knee.
“My neck snapped backwards, my spine was damaged, my eye just exploded. I was so scared. I cried a lot. I feared for my life, honestly. Thanks to the surgeon, I was only out for three months, but so many doctors told me that it was a miracle that I had even survived, let alone come back to play again so quickly.”