Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson said it would take a long time for everyone involved with the club to get over their play-off semi-final defeat to Watford.
The fans know that feeling only too well as they try to come to terms with having their Premier League dreams snatched away from them in the cruellest way imaginable.
In the space of just 20 seconds, they were taken from euphoria, knowing that a 95th-minute penalty had all but secured their place at Wembley, to complete and utter agony as Manuel Almunia twice denied Anthony Knockaert, Watford countered, and Troy Deeney rifled home the killer blow that condemned City to another season in the Championship.
Some 2,200 travelling City fans stood and watched, or sat and wept, as the Watford fans invaded the pitch and sang the songs the Blue Army were roaring just days earlier.
But as the dust settles and the knowledge sinks in that it's trips to Oakwell, not Old Trafford, next season, the pain is still as fresh as Sunday afternoon.
And the City fans flocked to social media sites to express their anguish at what might have been.
"Still feeling gutted," tweeted Jamie Bolton.
"One of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching moments of my 18 years being a Leicester City fan."
"Still hurting, it is going to take me a long time to get over this," said Alan Bennett on Twitter.
"That moment just keeps replaying itself in my head," said Shaun Bradshaw.
"I will never forget how low I feel. Gutted."
City fans are used to being put through the mill when following their side, especially with their last play-off penalty nightmare against Cardiff, in 2010, but no-one could have expected what happened at Vicarage Road.
"I can handle not getting to Wembley, a last-minute Watford goal, but I can't handle the fact we missed that penalty! So close," said Lindsay Hart.
"If I'm still feeling devastated, God knows how Nigel Pearson and the players are feeling."
"I can't fault our players," said Adam Barker. "Every single one of them played their hearts out.
But, as always, the fans will be there next season to go through it all again.
"If you're a true Leicester City supporter," believes Rob Underwood, "no matter how gutted you feel today, you'll be right behind City. That's our team."
With the defeat, and another season outside the Premier League, the inevitable speculation will come over the position of Nigel Pearson.
While some fans were calling for his head, many believe he is the man to take the side forward.
"The worst thing Leicester City could do now is to sack Nigel Pearson," tweeted Malcolm Boughen. "He knows the strengths of the team to build on – and the gaps to fill."
"Don't sack Pearson," urged Liam Wheat. "We just need to build on what we already have and get automatics next season. Not start all over again."
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