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IL NIÑO MARAVILLA RETURNS TO UDINE

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&lt;p&gt;Thirteen years after leaving Friuli, Alexis Sánchez returns to Udine, the city that welcomed him into European football at just 19 years old, helping him to grow and transform into an international talent capable of achieving success in the top European leagues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The young Alexis`s career began in South American football and progressed quickly: after taking his first steps with &lt;strong&gt;Cobreloa &lt;/strong&gt;in Chile, Sánchez moved to &lt;strong&gt;Colo-Colo&lt;/strong&gt;, based in the capital Santiago, and then to &lt;strong&gt;River Plate&lt;/strong&gt; in Argentina. With the &#34;&lt;strong&gt;Millonarios&lt;/strong&gt;,&#34; he scores 4 goals and wins the Clausura championship, showcasing a repertoire of tricks and skills that capture the imagination of &lt;strong&gt;Udinese&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the summer of 2008, Sánchez arrived at the Pozzo family`s club, a team with ambitions for a high league finish. In his first year, the Chilean played 43 times across the league, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Cup, recording &lt;strong&gt;3 goals&lt;/strong&gt; and as many assists. His impact on Italian football was positive. Sánchez was used by coach Pasquale Marino as a right winger in a three-man attack alongside &lt;strong&gt;Pepe &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;Quagliarella&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In his second year in Friuli, however, the Bianconeri finished the season in fifteenth place. Despite this, Alexis`s numbers improved with &lt;strong&gt;6 goals and 6 assists &lt;/strong&gt;in 36 appearances, a sign of his imminent breakthrough.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the following season, Udinese brought in &lt;strong&gt;Guidolin &lt;/strong&gt;as coach. The start was challenging, with four consecutive defeats in the early matchdays. However, after a change in formation to a 3-5-2, the team found its rhythm. Alexis Sánchez, in particular, transformed into a &lt;strong&gt;partner for Antonio Di Natale &lt;/strong&gt;in the attack, and his performance was sensational. Udinese soared thanks to Sánchez`s playmaking and Di Natale`s prolific goalscoring. With eight matches remaining, the Bianconeri found themselves in the Champions League zone, just 6 points behind the leaders, eventually finishing fourth in Serie A, securing a place in the Champions League qualifiers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alexis enjoyed a dream season, achieving a personal record of &lt;strong&gt;12 goals and 10 assists&lt;/strong&gt; in the league over 31 matches, highlighted by crucial goals against Napoli, Juventus, and AC Milan. The pinnacle of his time in Friuli was undoubtedly his &lt;strong&gt;four-goal haul&lt;/strong&gt; against &lt;strong&gt;Palermo &lt;/strong&gt;in the historic 7-0 BianconerI victory at the Favorita.&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d&#34; data-image-id=&#34;9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/f0f0845e-6209-43d5-9160-bd153b09851e/Sito_HERO_sanchez_udi.jpg&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d&#34; data-image-id=&#34;9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;The 2010-11 season revealed Sánchez`s true value, and by the end of the year, a move to an elite club was imminent. In the summer, he moved to &lt;strong&gt;Barcelona&lt;/strong&gt;, forming a formidable attacking trio with Messi and David Villa. After three seasons with the Blaugrana, the Niño Maravilla became a key player for &lt;strong&gt;Arsenal&lt;/strong&gt;, where he played for four years with the Gunners.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A living legend of Chilean football and the record-holder for both appearances and goals with &lt;strong&gt;La Roja,&lt;/strong&gt; Sánchez was a key figure in the legendary Copa América double against Argentina, notably scoring the decisive penalty in the 2015 edition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8&#34; data-image-id=&#34;21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/21309c87-ee2e-4181-8589-a7fe124affe6/Sito_HERO_sanchez_cile.jpg&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8&#34; data-image-id=&#34;21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alexis`s career continued at &lt;strong&gt;Manchester United &lt;/strong&gt;before returning to Italy with &lt;strong&gt;Inter&lt;/strong&gt;. His time with the Nerazzurri, which was briefly interrupted by a productive year at Olympique &lt;strong&gt;Marseille &lt;/strong&gt;in France, saw him win 2 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Supercups, and 1 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At 35, Sánchez brings to Udine an enviable wealth of experience and trophies, ideal for completing and enriching a young and ambitious team like &lt;strong&gt;Runjaić`s&lt;/strong&gt;. Beyond the technical evaluation, his return holds significant emotional value. Alexis chose with his heart, returning to where it all began, to the city that witnessed the birth of the &lt;strong&gt;Niño Maravilla&lt;/strong&gt; legend.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Photo Getty Images + X Udinese)&lt;/p&gt;

Alexis Sánchez is once again a Udinese player, the club that launched him into the elite of European football. The Chilean arrives in Friuli with the goal of improving on their fifteenth place from the last season 

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Serie A

Torino and Udinese fight it out for tenth spot

Torino vs. Udinese, two teams level on points

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Udinese vs. AC Milan to get matchday 32 underway

Genoa and Udinese face off in a bid to put their defeats from the previous weekend behind them

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Inter will be determined to beat Udinese to extend their gap, the Bianconeri are looking for a precious result.

Inter looking to extend their lead against Udinese

Udinese will aim to increase their unbeaten run to seven games against a Verona side who are desperate for points. 

Udinese take on Verona in a bid to achieve dreams

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Udinese against Parma to keep the dream alive

Lecce and Udinese are both looking for another positive result as they chase their respective objectives for the season

Lecce vs. Udinese kicks off matchday 26

Both Udinese and Empoli want to win, with the former harbouring European ambitions and the Tuscans aiming to move clear of the relegation zone 

Udinese vs. Empoli for three big points 

Napoli are welcoming Udinese, looking to return to winning ways and to stay top of the table.The kick off will be at 20:45 CET at the Maradona. 

Napoli-Udinese will be the final game on Sunday

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Thirteen years after leaving Friuli, Alexis Sánchez returns to Udine, the city that welcomed him into European football at just 19 years old, helping him to grow and transform into an international talent capable of achieving success in the top European leagues.&nbsp;The young Alexis`s career began in South American football and progressed quickly: after taking his first steps with Cobreloa in Chile, Sánchez moved to Colo-Colo, based in the capital Santiago, and then to River Plate in Argentina. With the "Millonarios," he scores 4 goals and wins the Clausura championship, showcasing a repertoire of tricks and skills that capture the imagination of Udinese.&nbsp;In the summer of 2008, Sánchez arrived at the Pozzo family`s club, a team with ambitions for a high league finish. In his first year, the Chilean played 43 times across the league, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Cup, recording 3 goals and as many assists. His impact on Italian football was positive. Sánchez was used by coach Pasquale Marino as a right winger in a three-man attack alongside Pepe and Quagliarella.&nbsp;In his second year in Friuli, however, the Bianconeri finished the season in fifteenth place. Despite this, Alexis`s numbers improved with 6 goals and 6 assists in 36 appearances, a sign of his imminent breakthrough.&nbsp;In the following season, Udinese brought in Guidolin as coach. The start was challenging, with four consecutive defeats in the early matchdays. However, after a change in formation to a 3-5-2, the team found its rhythm. Alexis Sánchez, in particular, transformed into a partner for Antonio Di Natale in the attack, and his performance was sensational. Udinese soared thanks to Sánchez`s playmaking and Di Natale`s prolific goalscoring. With eight matches remaining, the Bianconeri found themselves in the Champions League zone, just 6 points behind the leaders, eventually finishing fourth in Serie A, securing a place in the Champions League qualifiers.&nbsp;Alexis enjoyed a dream season, achieving a personal record of 12 goals and 10 assists in the league over 31 matches, highlighted by crucial goals against Napoli, Juventus, and AC Milan. The pinnacle of his time in Friuli was undoubtedly his four-goal haul against Palermo in the historic 7-0 BianconerI victory at the Favorita.&nbsp;<figure data-asset-id="9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d" data-image-id="9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/f0f0845e-6209-43d5-9160-bd153b09851e/Sito_HERO_sanchez_udi.jpg" data-asset-id="9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d" data-image-id="9d876bd3-e379-4b54-b123-b38a7dda3f8d" alt=""></figure>The 2010-11 season revealed Sánchez`s true value, and by the end of the year, a move to an elite club was imminent. In the summer, he moved to Barcelona, forming a formidable attacking trio with Messi and David Villa. After three seasons with the Blaugrana, the Niño Maravilla became a key player for Arsenal, where he played for four years with the Gunners.&nbsp;A living legend of Chilean football and the record-holder for both appearances and goals with La Roja, Sánchez was a key figure in the legendary Copa América double against Argentina, notably scoring the decisive penalty in the 2015 edition.&nbsp;<figure data-asset-id="21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8" data-image-id="21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/21309c87-ee2e-4181-8589-a7fe124affe6/Sito_HERO_sanchez_cile.jpg" data-asset-id="21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8" data-image-id="21256be3-09c6-473d-be71-b8b9cbc9efa8" alt=""></figure>Alexis`s career continued at Manchester United before returning to Italy with Inter. His time with the Nerazzurri, which was briefly interrupted by a productive year at Olympique Marseille in France, saw him win 2 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Supercups, and 1 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa.At 35, Sánchez brings to Udine an enviable wealth of experience and trophies, ideal for completing and enriching a young and ambitious team like Runjaić`s. Beyond the technical evaluation, his return holds significant emotional value. Alexis chose with his heart, returning to where it all began, to the city that witnessed the birth of the Niño Maravilla legend.(Photo Getty Images + X Udinese)

IL NIÑO MARAVILLA RETURNS TO UDINE | News

IL NIÑO MARAVILLA RETURNS TO UDINE

Alexis Sánchez is once again a Udinese player, the club that launched him into the elite of European football. The Chilean arrives in Friuli with the goal of improving on their fifteenth place from the last season

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IL NIÑO MARAVILLA RETURNS TO UDINE | News