In September 2004, the Napoli president sounded out the current technical director at Bologna, who was linked with Chievo at the time, but the executive did not want to leave the miracle team he had helped to create.

September 2004, the first few days, went something like this. While Aurelio De Laurentiis wandered around Castel Capuano, the gloomy corner where Napoli was confined to bankruptcy, he had to study the future: and in his fast (self-quoted), leafing through the rough drafts of soccer, ADL discovered that Giovanni Sartori, the architect of Chievo, was working miracles, frying fish (and bread) with water. An exploratory phone call, a friendly chat, an attempt and a temptation: it all happened quickly, and when, on September 4, just one step away from signing the acquisition of the club, the time came to see if it was possible to join forces and live happily ever after, Sartori explained to Adl the reasons of the heart that were impossible to escape. That season had just begun—Napoli would start later, once the Serie C championship had begun—and the sporting director did not want to abandon the creature he had raised in his own image and likeness. De Laurentiis appreciated this, congratulated him, and then changed tack: he had in mind to hand the bench over to Vavassori and, having to make a change, turned to Pierpaolo Marino, managing director at Udinese, and Giampiero Ventura. But nothing changed with Sartori: the infinite esteem, which 21 years later crossed paths in the Super Cup in Riyadh.