Chelsea beat Liverpool in the Champions league decider at Stamford Bridge and so reap an approximate £15million windfall, but they had to do it the hard way coming from one down to win 2-1.
Goals from captain Marcel Desailly and Jesper Gronkjaer cancelled out an 11th minute opener from Sami Hyypia.
Chelsea will now go into the Champions League qualification next season while Liverpool must be content with a UEFA Cup spot.
It was a winner take all match with fourth place in the Premiership the outcome and the chance to pit their wits against the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan.
For Liverpool they had to win and after 11 minutes it looked as if things were going to go their way.
An inswinging free-kick by Danny Murphy was met decisively by Hyypia who was unchallenged inside the six-yard box and tucked away his glancing header past Carlo Cudicini. The Londoners stormed back and within two minutes had levelled the match.
Graeme Le Saux angled a pass to Gronkjaer on the right who curled in an right-footer across the Liverpool area.
Desailly rose above Salif Diao and his powerful downward header came off Jerzy Dudek's right post and into the net.
Chelsea lost the match in terms of possession, but won it on tactics. But it was the speed of the equaliser that dispirited Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier the most: "Once we scored, I felt we would win, but we did not keep the advantage long enough," said the Frenchman.
"Chelsea were the more nervous, had we got to half time 1-0 up, they would have become even more nervous." Not only did they not hold the lead, Liverpool went behind and out of the Champions League.
Gronkjaer cut in from the right inside the Liverpool area. He unleashed a low, daisy-cutter of a left-footer that curled round a clutch of defenders and eluded Dudek's outstretched right hand and nestled into the back of the Liverpool net.
Nerves got the better of both sides as the final whistle beckoned. No one more so than England midfielder Steven Gerrrad, who was booked and sent off for two bookable offences within the space of five minutes.
Liverpool did have the ball in the back of the net but Milan Baros handled the ball following a Cudicini howler of a slip.
Chelsea head coach Claudio Ranieri was naturally delighted with the result: "It was a hard battle," said the Italian.
"In the first half we were nervous, but after the first goal we became more determined.
"The experience of our previous UEFA matches will prepare us for the Champions League, but first we have to qualify.
"I hope that Zola will stay and that I keep this squad of players for that campaign."