The Champions League final is arguably the biggest game in club football and for some players, it's the last time they represent their team before departing for a new challenge elsewhere.
As was the case for Sadio Mane this summer. The 30-year-old was about to enter the final year of his contract at Liverpool and the 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Paris last month was the final time supporters would see the Senegalese play for the Reds.
With the eyes of the world watching, managers will always opt for their strongest XI in this game and Mane was a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's system. His exit for Bayern Munich leaves huge shoes to fill for recent signings Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, but this isn't the first time Liverpool players have moved on after the major final.
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Milan Baros spent three years on Merseyside between 2002 and 2005. The forward started up front for the Reds in the historic win against AC Milan in Istanbul and he certainly left on a high.
Later that summer, Aston Villa acquired the former Czech Republic international for roughly £6.5 million. Then aged 23, Baros was struggling for first team football under Rafa Benitez and had interest from across Europe with Lyon and Schalke both reportedly keen.
He did eventually join Lyon less than two years later but still struggled for form and was sent back to England on loan at Portsmouth. He moved to Turkish giants Galatasaray on a permanent deal in the summer of 2008 where he spent five years. He then spent the latter stages of his career at various clubs in Turkey and in his homeland the Czech Republic.
Fellow Czech international Vladimir Smicer also called time on his Liverpool career following the club's Champions League heroics in 2005. He came off the bench to replace Harry Kewell after 23 minutes and went on to score the Reds' second goal of the night in the famous comeback.
He initially joined Liverpool from French side Lens in the summer of 1999 and after six years with the club, he returned to France following the expiration of his contract. He signed a two-year deal at Bordeaux and saw out his deal there before returning to the Czech Republic with Slavia Prague in 2007. He then retired in November 2009.
Bolo Zenden signed for Liverpool from Middlesbrough on a free transfer after the final in 2005 and the winger made 47 appearances for the club before he departed for Marseille in 2007.
He started the Champions League final that year as the Reds came up against AC Milan once again, this time in Athens. It wasn't to be for Benitez' side and Carlo Ancelotti got his revenge as Milan won 2-1 on the night.
Zenden spent two years in France before he left in 2009. He had a brief return to England with Sunderland between 2009 and 2011 but later retired from professional football in November 2012.
Emre Can is another star who left Liverpool on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract. The midfielder was a key part of the club's run to the Champions League final in 2017/18, but Klopp opted for a midfield three of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum to take on Real Madrid.
Can made a brief substitute appearance late in the game, but the final was all but lost as the La Liga giants scored their third of the night shortly after the change. The Germany international joined Juventus on a free transfer shortly after but the move didn't quite go to plan.
He struggled for regular game time in Serie A and eventually joined Dortmund on loan midway through the 2019/20 season. The move was made permanent at the end of the campaign and he's so far made 83 appearances for the Bundesliga club.
Goalkeeper Loris Karius may have remained on Liverpool's books following the disappointment in Kyiv, but the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid was the last time he played for the club.
The Reds signed their new number one that summer as Alisson Becker joined from Roma, while Karius joined Besiktas on loan the following season. After two years in Turkey, he went out on loan once again in 2020 this time with Union Berlin.
The shot-stopper is now a free agent this summer following the expiration of his contract at Liverpool and he's in search of a new club.
For Mane, he won everything he possibly could at Anfield, including the Champions League in 2019. He's played in three finals in the competition during his six years on Merseyside but he joins a club with plenty of history in Europe.
Bayern last won the competition in 2020 with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, but have only reached the quarter-final stage in the previous two campaigns. Mane will hope to turn around their fortunes when the new season gets underway next month.
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