By Billy Rodgers
Throughout the years, there have been many athletes, especially in the sport of soccer, who have faced incredible hardships at a young age but have then defy all odds and play professionally. Alexis Sanchez is a fantastic example of this. He has shown that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, there’s always a chance to succeed.
Alexis Sanchez currently plays for English Premier League side, Arsenal FC. He now lives in London, far different than his surroundings as a kid.
Alexis Sanchez was born on December 19, 1988, in Tocopilla, Chile. This region is predominantly known for it’s miners and factory workers, not soccer players. Alexis said, “”If I had not become a football player I would probably have ended up working in the mine, or doing something else, something tough…”
Compared to the lifestyle Sanchez lives now, life for him is far away from tough, minus the challenges he faces on the soccer field. He has gone from barely making enough money to provide for him and his mom, to earning around $300,000 a week ($11.5 million a year). Such numbers aren’t uncommon for soccer players who have grown up in poverty, but who have turned their life around through hard work and commitment to the game. Alexis was given nothing. He had to fight for everything that he now has.
From a young age, Sanchez faced many hardships, ones that he would eventually solve through his dedication to the game of soccer.
He barely ever knew his father, Jose Delaigue, who left him and his mom at a young age.
His mother, Martina Sanchez, worked as a cleaning lady in Alexis’ school in Tocopilla. Sanchez said, “When she was cleaning in the school I hid because I didn’t like to see her there,” as he was embarrassed of her job. Alexis was forced to bear some of the brunt of supporting the small family. He had no choice but to work for money since the age of six, to help his Mom out financially.
Without a father to put food on the table, Alexis and his mom struggled to make ends meet, scraping by every day.
He knew that the only way to get him and his mom off the streets was through the game of soccer.
At the time, all of his friends loved to play soccer in the streets. Before fun, many children in Tocopilla had to work all kinds of odd jobs to contribute to their family income.
Some say that Alexis was gifted with blistering speed and mind boggling ball control. Others think that his fantastic ability could have come through hours and hours of hard work under the blistering Chilean sun. He was dubbed ‘El Nino Maravilla’ by many, which translates to ‘The Wonder Boy’. Alexis Sanchez has done nothing but live up to this nickname.
At the age of 12, Alexis played in a local under-14 (years old) tournament, playing with kids two years older than him. At the time, Alexis was unable to afford his own pair of cleats, so he had to borrow a pair of cleats from someone, for the tournament. Using these loaned cleats, he scored eight goals in one of the tournament games. As a reward, the mayor of Tocopilla gave Alexis his own pair of cleats.
By the time he was 15, he was already on the radar of many professional teams in Chile. He made his debut for the local professional club, named Cobreloa, at just 16 years old. An Italian team, Udinese, who were in Serie A, the top professional league in Italy, were very interested in the young Chilean. They recognized his potential and decided to take a chance and buy him when he turned 17. Alexis did not pass up the chance and moved out of Tocopilla, to Italy, at the ripe age of 17.
He spent his first two years at Udinese out on loan, first at Chilean club Colo Colo and then at Argentine powerhouse River Plate. Playing for both of these teams at the age of 18 and 19, gave Alexis extremely valuable experience for the future of his career.
After his two loan spells, it seemed that Alexis was finally ready for the big stage. He played for Udinese from 2008 to 2011, making 95 appearances and scoring 20 goals. He had a fantastic 2010-2011 season, which put him under the watchful eyes of European giants like Barcelona Football Club, Real Madrid Club de Football, Chelsea Football Club, and many more. Barcelona won the race for Alexis, paying 26 million euros for his services.
At Barcelona, the Chilean scored 39 goals in 88 appearances. He was eventually dubbed ‘Electric Sanchez’ by many because of his blistering pace, unprecedented work rate, and his ability to create something out of nothing.
He never really settled in with the fans at Barcelona and in 2014 he decided to move on from the Spanish giants. In an unexpected turn of events, Alexis signed for English Premier League side Arsenal, for an astounding, 32 million pounds.
He has lived up to his reputation so far in the 2014-2015 season. He has dazzled many Arsenal fans and scores the most important of goals. He is in the top 5 of goal scorers in the league, which isn’t a small feat in the English Premier League.
Coming from a poverty stricken family, Alexis Sanchez has grown into one of the most respected soccer players today. He runs his heart out on the field, no matter what team he is playing for or against. His hometown of Tocopilla will always remember him as ‘El Nino Maravilla’ or simply ‘The Wonder Boy’. He has since moved his mother out of Tocopilla and provides for many of his family members. Alexis Sanchez will always be remembered as a success story, not one who would succumb to poverty.
Views From the Touch Line 