Introduction
Anthony Rubén Lozano Colón (born 25 April 1993), also known as Choco Lozano, is a Honduran professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Girona FC as a forward.
Club career
Born in Yoro, Lozano made his debut in the Honduran top division at the age of only 15, appearing for Club Deportivo Olimpia against Club Deportivo y Social Vida on 11 January 2009. On 21 February 2010 he scored his first goals, netting a hat-trick in the Clausura tournament 6–0 win over C.D. Victoria.
In August 2010, Lozano spent time training with Tottenham Hotspur's reserve team, impressing manager Harry Redknapp. He was expected to stay with the North London side, but the deal never went through because he was underage and, therefore, could not sign a contract with a professional club.
On 11 August 2011, Lozano moved to Spain and signed with Valencia CF on a one-year loan, but was immediately loaned to neighbouring side CD Alcoyano, in Segunda División. He made his official debut against UD Las Palmas on 3 September, as a second-half substitute (0–1 away loss).
Lozano spent the 2012–13 season with Valencia's B-team, in Segunda División B. After being released, he returned to his first club Olimpia.
Lozano was Olimpia's topscorer in the 2014–15 campaign, contributing with 26 goals in 38 matches. On 6 August 2015, he returned to Spain and its second level after agreeing to a one-year loan deal with CD Tenerife, which was extended on 9 July of the following year.
On 7 July 2017, an agreement between FC Barcelona and Olimpia for Lozano was confirmed by the latter club's vice president Osman Madrid, which saw the player become the first Honduran to represent the Catalans. He was assigned to their reserves in division two, and in the first game of the season, he scored once and provided an assist against Real Valladolid (2–1, away).
On 30 January 2018, Lozano joined La Liga side Girona FC for a fee of €1.7 million. He made his debut in the competition 12 days later, featuring 21 minutes in the 0–1 away loss to Sevilla FC, and scored his first goal on 3 March – also from the bench – to help the visitors defeat Villarreal CF 2–0.
Lozano was given a direct red card late into the 2–1 home win over Rayo Vallecano on 27 October 2018, after tackling Santi Comesaña from behind. He scored the equaliser against Atlético Madrid the following 9 January, cancelling out Antoine Griezmann in a 1–1 draw for the Copa del Rey's round of 16 also at the Estadi Montilivi; it was his second competitive goal for the club, after failing to the find the net for almost a year.
International career
Lozano scored 11 goals for the Honduras under-17s, including four in the 2009 CONCACAF Championship which qualified the national team to that year's FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he netted in the 1–3 loss against Germany. He made his senior debut in August 2011, coming on as a substitute for Carlo Costly (who scored both goals in the 2–0 win) in a friendly win over Venezuela.
Lozano also represented the country at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He scored twice in the latter tournament, helping the nation to the semi-finals in Brazil.
International goals
- As of 16 November 2018 (Honduras score listed first, score column indicates score after each Lozano goal)
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 13 September 2014 | Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States |  Nicaragua |
2014 Copa Centroamericana | ||
| 2. | 4 February 2015 | Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Venezuela |
Friendly | ||
| 3. | 11 February 2015 | Agustín Tovar, Barinas, Venezuela | ||||
| 4. | 29 March 2015 | Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  French Guiana |
2015 Gold Cup qualification | ||
| 5. | 31 May 2015 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, Washington, United States |  El Salvador |
2–0 | Friendly | |
| 6. | 25 March 2016 | Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2018 World Cup qualification | |
| 7. | 28 March 2017 | Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 World Cup qualification |
| 8. | 16 November 2018 | Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras |  Panama |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Personal life
Lozano's older brother, Luis Ramos, is also a footballer. A midfielder, he played several years in Slovakia and Hungary. His style was compared to compatriot Costly.
Lozano married Alessa Gámez, with the couple later welcoming a daughter.