Despite a season of struggle and immediate return to the Championship with only five league wins all season, Burnley were making plans on being back in the top flight with Kompany at the helm.

Before their 2-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in their final game, chairman Alan Pace wrote in the matchday programme about the “project” under the Belgian and having “full faith” in a talented young coach’s leadership.

Pace and senior figures at the club have always been adamant that 38-year-old Kompany is the right man, providing him with £100m to spend on summer signings of his choosing and then backing him when results weren’t going their way.

After clinching promotion by cantering to the Championship title with 101 points in his first season, Pace was in awe and described having the former Manchester City captain in charge was like “dating the most beautiful girl in town”.

Nathan Rogers, host of the Turfcast, external fan channel, told BBC Sport: “I think Alan will be feeling embarrassed. He sang the praises of Kompany and was ‘Kompany in’, no matter how he performed. As an owner, he should taken a more professional approach to public comments around his admiration towards him.

“It felt like Alan was lucky to have Kompany in the same room as him, let alone employing him. That might have enabled Kompany to get away with more than he has done because managers have got sacked for less in this game.”

Last Monday, Burnley’s world was turned upside down.

Reports emerged Kompany was now a shock name on the shortlist for the Bayern job and their number one choice.

By Wednesday it became clear a move back to Germany – where he played in the Bundesliga for Hamburg before joining Manchester City in 2008 – was a matter of when, not if, and left supporters reeling as the two clubs discussed compensation terms.

Nobody can begrudge Kompany a huge opportunity like this but there is a feeling he jumped at the first chance he got, having said earlier in the month “we stick together” and talked about bring “the good times back”.

Rogers added: “It does feel like he has let us down. It is understandable you take the Bayern job because they don’t come up very often but after season we have had, it feels like a kick in the teeth. He has abandoned us only 24 hours after the final whistle with the first phone call he has had.

“Kompany swept us away with the new style of play and there was an immediate connection after his first game, we fell in love with each other. He was passionate in front of the fans and when it wasn’t going well this season we repaid him with unwavering support. Now him leaving us feels disappointing.”

The club will now look to finding a replacement and BBC Sport understands ex-Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard would be interested in filling the vacancy.