In September 2004, the Napoli president approached the current head of Bologna’s technical department—who was with Chievo at the time—but the executive refused to leave the “miracle team” he had helped build

September 2004, the early days, went something like this. While Aurelio De Laurentiis was wandering around Castel Capuano, the gloomy corner where Napoli was confined in bankruptcy, the future had to be mapped out: and in his fasting (self-quote), leafing through the rough drafts of soccer, ADL discovered that Giovanni Sartori, the architect of Chievo, was working miracles, turning water into fish (and loaves). A quick exploratory call, a friendly chat, an attempt and a temptation: it all happened in a hurry, and when, on September 4, just one step away from signing the deal to acquire the club, the time came to talk and 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 resist. That season had just begun—Napoli would start later, once the Serie C season had begun—and the sporting director did not want to abandon that team he had nurtured in his own image. De Laurentiis appreciated it nonetheless, offered his compliments, and then changed course: he had planned to hand the bench over to Vavassori, and since he had to make a change, he turned to Pierpaolo Marino, general manager at Udinese, and Giampiero Ventura. But with Sartori, nothing has changed: the boundless respect, which 21 years later intersects in the Super Cup in Riyadh.