On Thursday, Belgian football chiefs broke ranks from the rest of Europe by cancelling their season in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The sudden halt to the 2019-20 campaign saw Club Brugge crowned as champions with Gent runners-up.
The decision to shutdown the Belgian First Division A also meant that Vincent Kompany's first foray into management has ceased.
The Manchester City legend returned to his former club Anderlecht last year in a player-manager role.
Belgium's most successful club though could only finish eighth in the 16-team top-flight - a position that will disappoint everyone connected with the club.
Kompany was announced as Anderlecht's new manager last May to much fanfare. The Belgium international was returning to the club where he came through the academy ranks before starting out as a professional in 2003.
'For the next three years, I will take up the role of player-manager of RSC Anderlecht. Belgium's finest,' he wrote in an open letter upon his announcement.
'This may come as a surprise to you. It's the most passionate yet rational decision I've ever made.
'As a footballer, I was born and raised at RSC Anderlecht. Since the age of six, I have been one with that club. A history of 34 league titles, they are second to none.
'I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht. Player-manager. I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations. With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium.'
A meticulous thinker as a player, the centre back was hoping this would relate into management too.
A week later, Kompany was beginning to shape his own backroom staff as he lured Manchester City academy chief Simon Davies to Belgium to become Anderlecht's head coach.
Despite their past success, Kompany was under no illusions to the daunting task he faced. Anderlecht were without European football for the first time in 56 years, finishing a lowly sixth in 2018-19, and had set targets on how many academy products they must start producing.
A promising summer window saw new recruits such as Samir Nasri, a former team-mate of Kompany's at City, ex-Tottenham and West Bromwich Albion midfielder Nacer Chadli and striker Kemar Roofe from Leeds United all join the Lotto Park outfit.
An average pre-season, which yielded three wins, one draw and three defeats from seven matches, transpired into an awful start to the campaign for Kompany.
The first game of the season pitted them at home to KV Oostende. Despite taking the lead on 13 minutes, Kompany - who started himself that match - was unable to help Anderlecht see out their lead as they lost 2-1.
The following two games saw Kompany register points with successive 0-0 draws at Royal Excel Mouscron and at home to Mechelen.
However, a thumping 4-2 defeat at Kortrijk saw a change of approach from Kompany and the board. The manner of the setback was particularly damning as the Belgian giants conceded four second-half goals to slip from 1-0 up. Clearly playing in those matches while trying to manage was not working.
Anderlecht had taken only two points from their first four league games - their worst start for 21 years.
As a result, it was decided that Kompany would relinquish his managerial duties on match days to concentrate on playing. The veteran would become captain, replacing Nasri, while head coach Davies took charge of tactical changes and substitutions.
'One of the things that is going to change straight away is Vinnie is going to be captain,' revealed Welshman Davies.
'He is going to concentrate on being the player on match day.
'If Vinnie can be the best player in the league, which he is, and lead on the field, I can take responsibility for all the other things like changes and how we play, and if we need to change shape during the game.'
The change came into effect immediately, starting with a match away to then-league champions Genk. It didn't have the desired effect though as their start to the season worsened with a 1-0 loss - a result that saw them drop to 14th.
Things finally improved the following fixture as they won 1-0 at home to Standard Liege on September 1 in what was Kompany's first win as a manager. Ironically he had no involvement in that match after being ruled out with a hamstring injury at Genk.
The timing of that win perhaps came at the wrong moment for the Belgian giants as the international break then ensued. Upon returning, Anderlecht suffered successive 2-1 defeats.
However, an extra-time win at second-tier Beerschot-Wilrijk in the Belgian Cup sixth-round - in what was Kompany's first game back from injury - sparked an impressive run of form.
Between that victory on September 25 and November 24 the Purple and Whites went nine games unbeaten recording five wins and four draws - with the latter eight of those coming in the league.
However, during this good patch controversy struck. In October, the club were fined the maximum €5,000 (£4,320) by the Belgian FA for allowing Kompany to coach their team without the required diploma.
Belgium requires the head coach at all its top-flight clubs to hold a UEFA Pro licence, which Kompany did not have.
Anderlecht argued that Davies was actually the head coach but the commission used the club's own media statements and video clips of the unveiling of Kompany to refute this. They were also given a strong reprimand for insufficient respect for compliance with the regulations.
As a result, Anderlecht named Frank Vercauteren, who has the necessary diploma, as head coach, saying he was replacing Davies, who stayed on as an assistant coach.
Aside from that, a 3-2 league defeat at JV Oostende ended Anderlecht's run but they bounced back by beating Royal Excel Mouscron 3-2 in the Belgian Cup.
Two league draws followed before Anderlecht were dumped out of the cup at home by bitter rivals Club Brugge 2-0 in the quarter-finals.
Anderlecht had lost only twice further since that December 19 setback before the season was curtailed - once more to Club Brugge and at Mechelen.
Two defeats in 10 games wasn't bad going considering the start of the season Anderlecht made. Alongside those two blotches were six wins and two draws.
The finalisation of the season couldn't have come at a worse time for Kompany and Co though. They had won their last three games 6-1, 3-0 and a 7-0 for an aggregate score of 16-1 to propel them to eighth.
It appeared that Kompany, who turns 34 on April 10, had found a solution to their early-season woes. They were just one point outside sixth with one game left to play of the regular campaign, where after that the top-six sides go into a championship play-off to determine the league's overall winner.
A topsy-turvy season could have ended in unlikely league silverware. Kompany will have learned a lot from this term and will look to rectify his mistakes going into 2020-21 - whenever that starts.
A class act on and off the pitch, it has been reported that Kompany offered to pay for Anderlecht players if they do not give up one month of their salaries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Belgian outfit have asked players to sacrifice a portion of their pay packets to help the club amid the coronavirus crisis.
But now Kompany has indicated that he will take on the responsibility if players are unable to do so, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
Leadership like that will only help solidify his standing going into next season. He will be hoping that ends with silverware too. Having been managed by Pep Guardiola at City he has had a good education.
Can the student now becomes the teacher?
