Coach Xabi Alonso is used to being welcomed by everyone at BayArena. Even after being eliminated with a final score of 0-5 in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Alonso was still treated by his home fans as a hero.
That is what happens when Alonso changes the history of a club by turning them into winners. Alonso not only brought Leverkusen his first Bundesliga title last season, but also did that without losing a single match. And without a surprise defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League final, Alonso's Leverkusen would have ended their unbeaten run.
To make things more memorable, Alonso has decided to commit to his future at BayArena. Usually, after such impressive success, coaches will choose to move to a larger club.
A year later, when Leverkusen were left out of the Champions League and almost certainly lost the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich, Alonso had to make another big decision about his future.
At this time last season, Liverpool and Bayern were both looking for a new coach, and Alonso could choose one of the two if he wanted to. Instead, the 43-year-old has made it clear that he will stay at Leverkusen for at least another year. Loyalty and patience were two big factors in Alonso's decision.
However, for now, honoring the last 12 months of the contract could be a more difficult option for Alonso. Leverkusen have failed to achieve the incredible results of last season and this is not surprising. Their biggest star Florian Wirtz could leave this summer amid the concerns of many "big guys".
"We have had great development with the team to reach this level. Coming to the next level is not easy. Bayern Munich is another class in this tournament. We need to continue to develop right now" - Alonso said.
So should Alonso stay with the BayArena team for another year? Or will his legendary journey at BayArena come to a natural end?
"This is the Champions League, it's over for us, so we can only congratulate Bayern Munich. Now we have to focus on the Bundesliga and the German Cup. We have a great chance to win a trophy back, so we have to be ready and realistic about what we have done. We did well, but not enough to reach the quarter-finals" - Alonso said after the loss to Bayern.
If his journey at Leverkusen has come to an end, Alonso will see a different context ahead for potential options compared to last year. And that could be Leverkusen's best hope to convince Alonso to stay.
Liverpool is no longer an option as Arne Slot is on course to win the Premier League in his first year at Anfield. Meanwhile, Bayern will not be able to part ways with Vincent Kompany if they win the Bundesliga championship.
Real Madrid, one of Alonso's former clubs, always seems like a dream destination for the former Spanish midfielder. However, Carlo Ancelotti is not yet sure his future. Things could change if Los Blancos don't win another Champions League title this season. However, Real are always unpredictable and will be a high-risk strategy for Alonso when betting on moving to the Bernabeu.
There are no other viable options in La Liga, while Luis Enrique is building a promising youth team with Paris St Germain. And it is difficult to convince Alonso that moving to a top club in Italy would be the right choice.
In the Premier League, Manchester City has guaranteed Pep Guardiola a contract until 2027 and only Arsenal are most suitable for Alonso. But will the "Gunners" leadership abandon their plans with Mikel Arteta?
Therefore, staying with Leverkusen for another season, then making a big move, could be a reasonable choice for Alonso. But he surprised everyone when he committed to Leverkusen's future last season. Therefore, the Spanish strategist will once again make everyone speculate.
Finally, can Alonso achieve any other success at Leverkusen? That could be a deciding factor in whatever he chooses next.
