For any players who have featured for 90 minutes in a match under Pasquale Marino , the next day at training is dedicated to ‘ scarico ’ — recovery . Try telling that to Alexis Sanchez . Marino was the manager who brought Sanchez into Udinese ’ s first team in 2008 after he had been signed from Chilean club side Cobreloa two years earlier . Udinese had Italy internationals Antonio di Natale , Simone Pepe and Fabio Quagliarella vying for places up front , but Marino knew in Sanchez he had a ‘ jewel ’ on his hands . Alexis Sanchez has impressed for Arsenal this season following his £30million switch from Barcelona . Pasquale Marino , pictured managing Pescara in 2013 , brought Sanchez into the Udinese first team in 2008 . The main problem he encountered , however , was that he could not keep Sanchez off the pitch . ‘ Alexis could easily play three matches per day , ’ Marino , now in charge of Vicenza , said . ‘ As soon as the ( training ) match started , Alexis used to abandon the scarico and would run up to me , almost imploring : “ Mister , let me play , just for a few minutes . Please , please , please . I promise I won ’ t get injured. ” Football is an enormous pleasure for him. ’ That hunger earned him two £30million moves , first to Barcelona in 2011 and then to Arsenal last summer . It is also why Sanchez , Arsenal ’ s stand-out player this season , found it so difficult when he was rested for two games by Arsene Wenger — against Aston Villa and Tottenham — with a sore hamstring . Sanchez spent five years with Serie A side Udinese before earning a move to Spanish giants Barcelona . Sanchez takes on defender Miranda during Chile 's friendly with Brazil at the Emirates Stadium last week . ‘ Putting him on the bench is like taking a toy from a child , ’ Marino warned . ‘ There was just one thing that worried me when he joined Barcelona — they were full of amazing forwards and it was by no means a given that Alexis would be in the starting 11 . ‘ Since I know how important it is for him to play , I feared that without regular football he could become discouraged . But he proved he was good enough to become an essential part of the team and fitted into the Barca way of playing. ’ Big money moves have not sapped any of Sanchez ’ s energy . Speak to Arsenal players and they describe the same enthusiasm in training , the same refusal to embrace rest days , the same disregard for ‘ scarico. ’ Sanchez found it difficult when he had to be rested for Arsenal 's matches with Aston Villa and Tottenham . They warned him that when the games rained down over the winter it would soon catch up with him , but Sanchez , bar that short Wenger-enforced break , has not stopped , even if he hasn ’ t been as prolific as he was in the first half of the season . That is why Marino believes Sanchez , still only 26 , could elevate himself alongside the planet ’ s greatest . ‘ He ’ s never looked as strong as he does now , ’ Marino said . ‘ Personally , I think he could score more than 35 goals a season in any league he plays in . ‘ If he succeeded in doing that , he would be at the same level as two monsters of the modern game : Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo . Nowadays only those two , and maybe Zlatan Ibrahimovic , can claim to be better than Alexis. ’ Marino believes Sanchez is looking strong and capable of scoring 35 goals in any league he 's played in .
Alexis Sanchez has starred for Barcelona and Arsenal since Udinese days . Former boss Pasquale Marino has tipped the frontman for greatness . The former Atletico Madrid striker is a target of Real Madrid, who have been linked with him in recent weeks but are yet to make any formal approach.