Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said Kadeisha Buchanan's red card in the semi-final defeat by Barcelona was the "worst decision in Women's Champions League history".

Buchanan was ordered off for a second yellow card offence as Chelsea were knocked out, losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge for a 2-1 exit on aggregate.

Hayes said she thought her side - who also conceded a penalty - were "robbed" by referee Iuliana Demetrescu's decisions.

Buchanan's second booking came for a challenge on Patri Guijarro just before the hour mark.

"I didn't think it was a foul, let alone a yellow card," said Hayes.

Chelsea were 1-0 down to Aitana Bonmati's first-half goal but level on aggregate when the red card came out, with the tie in the balance.

Fridolina Rolfo's spot-kick in the 75th minute carried Barcelona through to the 25 May final.

Hayes said that going down to 10 players swung the tie's momentum in Barcelona's favour.

"I genuinely believe we were on top of the game," she said. "We just hit the post, I could feel the momentum going in that direction, but we didn’t have the chance to experience that.

"You need everything to go your way. They get two yellow cards, a deflection and a penalty. Everything went their way and everything didn’t go our way tonight."

The video assistant referee (VAR) system was in operation but can only be used to check possible red card decisions, not yellows.

The Chelsea boss called the decision to send off Buchanan "horrific".

Hayes added: "I'm stood there and I've looked at the fourth official and said, 'Surely that will be checked?', and she said it can’t on a yellow.

"The toughest thing to take is that we didn't lose it. There's nothing you can do when there's such a terrible decision and it's already hard enough. They are a top team. When that's taken out of your hands, that is a tough one on the players for sure."

Missing out on the final means Hayes, who departs to become United States manager at the end of the season, will leave Chelsea having won every available trophy apart from the Champions League.

As mayor aims to win third term, what has he achieved so far on air pollution, the climate crisis and nature?

When Sadiq Khan launched his campaign for a third term as Labour mayor of London, he put his green policies front and centre, highlighting his work on air pollution, the climate crisis and nature.

For seasoned Khan watchers, this came as little surprise. The mayor, who last year published a book called Breathe: Seven Ways to Win a Greener World, has been widely praised for his work tackling air pollution, as well as his efforts on nature restoration and getting London to net zero by 2030.

But after eight years in City Hall, what exactly has been achieved – and what can voters expect if he wins a third term when Londoners go to the polls next week?

According to Paul Morozzo from Greenpeace, which has analysed the policies of Khan and his Tory rival, Susan Hall, the two candidates’ climate policies are like “chalk and cheese”.

“While there’s still lots of room for improvement from the mayor of London, climate and nature are clearly top priorities for Sadiq Khan,” Morozzo said. “[His] history speaks for itself.”

Greenpeace’s analysis of the two candidates’ environment policies gives Khan 23.5 points out of a possible 45, compared with 7.5 for Hall.

And Khan’s environmental credentials may be critical in next week’s contest. In 2021, almost all of the Green party candidate Siân Berry’s roughly 200,000 first-preference votes went to Khan in the second round, taking his eventual lead over the Conservatives’ Shaun Bailey from about 5% to 10%.

This year, the election is being run on a different system: first past the post. So Khan’s ability to persuade Green-minded voters not to split the progressive vote but back him from the outset could be decisive.

Shaun Spiers, from the Green Alliance group, believes voters concerned about the environment could do a lot worse than stick with Khan.

“Broadly speaking his record has been very impressive,” said Spiers. “He’s put the environment centre-stage and, critically, linked the climate and nature emergencies in a way that’s unusual in politicians, particularly local politicians.”

According to experts who spoke to the Guardian, Khan’s main green achievements include:

However, all those who spoke to the Guardian also criticised Khan for pushing ahead with the Silvertown tunnel, a new four-lane road under the River Thames in east London. Doctors, environmental groups, climate scientists and many local residents have opposed the scheme, which they say will increase air pollution and worsen public health in some of the poorest parts of the city – a claim Khan disputes.

Jon Burke, a former Labour councillor in Hackney who oversaw a far-reaching environment programme in the borough, said Silvertown was an example of the mayor failing to make the deep structural changes that were required to meet the challenges of the escalating climate emergency.

“When compared to the other politicians in the UK, Sadiq’s delivery of cycling infrastructure and expansion of the ultra-low emission zone makes him looks like a climate leader, but that does not mean he is doing enough,” he said.

More needed to be done to reduce traffic, retrofit homes and reduce emissions, Burke added. “And by ploughing on with Silvertown he has embedded significant transport emissions and pollution for generations to come at a time when we should be moving heaven and earth to drastically reduce them.”

Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, from the IPPR thinktank, said she did not understand the rationale behind Silvertown but, that project aside, Khan had shown courage on a range of environmental matters, particularly when he held his nerve in the face of fierce pushback to the expansion of the Ulez last year.

“The key thing is that he has shown real leadership on both climate and environment and air quality at a time when I don’t really think we’ve seen that from many other political leaders. I think that we will probably look back and see him as someone who was really leading the way on air quality,” she said.

Singer Hobbs said Khan’s work had given many councils the cover to push ahead with their own schemes to improve air quality and public health, from low traffic neighbourhoods to school streets.

And while there was more work to do on everything from hitting the net zero target to introducing home insulation and heat pumps, Singer Hobbs said that if Khan did win and that was followed by a Labour victory nationally, it could unlock many more crucial environmental measures.

“It would be very interesting to see just how bold he would be if that happened,” she said.

Wales prop Rhys Carre says he is leaving Cardiff for Saracens having “gone backwards” in his international career.

Carre, 26, will no longer be eligible for Wales when he rejoins Saracens this summer because he has only 20 caps.

He has not featured for Wales since being released from Warren Gatland’s World Cup training squad last summer.

In an interview in the match programme for Cardiff’s home defeat to Edinburgh on Saturday, Carre said he views the Saracens move as a “new start”.

He explained how he broke news of his exit to Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt.

“I said to him it wasn’t a decision to leave Cardiff, it was more everything that had gone on,” Carre said.

“The decision wasn’t based on a Cardiff perspective, more the Wales perspective. From a club perspective, I think I’ve got better every year. I just think from an international perspective, I’ve probably gone backwards.

“As I’ve got better playing for my club, I’ve got looked at less from an international standpoint. I can’t say exactly how and why.”

Carre was part of Warren Gatland’s 54-man training party before last year’s World Cup.

But the Welsh Rugby Union announced last June that after “ongoing discussions” with the Wales coaching staff, Carre was released from the group having "failed to meet individual performance targets".

He had been omitted from Wales' squad for the 2022 autumn internationals despite some impressive displays for Cardiff, with then national coach Wayne Pivac saying he had "fallen short" in his "general conditioning".

The former Wales Under-18 captain was in Gatland's squad at the 2019 World Cup, having made his senior international debut in the lead-up to that tournament.

Carre played for Saracens in 2019-20.

His return to the Premiership club means he will be ineligible for Wales next season because of the Welsh Rugby Union’s 25-cap rule.

“All you can do as a player is play well for your club,” Carre added.

“Some people just don’t get picked. Some people just aren’t a coach's cup of tea or whatever. If you are playing well and still aren’t getting picked, there’s not much you can do.

“Some things aren’t meant to be. It just felt like now was the right time and the opportunity came up to go back to Saracens.”

Cardiff-born Carre says moving to London will allow him “to go away and get out of the environment”.

“I’ve sort of stalled since the 2019 World Cup. I haven’t really gone anywhere,” he said.

“I want a chance to have a new start and to try and better myself again to see where I can get to.”

The Women’s Super League will have a new name among its ranks next season after Crystal Palace rubber-stamped promotion from the Championship on the final day of the season.

The Eagles were all but sure of their place in the top flight thanks to a 2-0 victory at relegated Lewes that put them three points clear of second-placed Charlton, with an overwhelming advantage in goal difference.

On Sunday, that place was sealed with a goalless draw against Sunderland in front of a club-record 6,796 crowd at Selhurst Park.

It has been a historic season for Palace and one that even their captain admits has surpassed expectations.

"At the start of the season there were a lot of changes," Palace captain Aimee Everett told BBC Sport. "Honestly, I don't think anyone expected this would have been the outcome, but this is what everyone wanted to achieve."

The changes saw the arrival of a new manager, Laura Kaminski, and a head of women’s football, Grace Williams.

Williams, who is celebrating a second successive promotion having overseen Bristol City’s Championship title last year, was much more confident than Everett that Palace would see the job through.

"It's better to sit comfortable and know what you are doing as a team is correct," Williams told the BBC’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast. "You want to lead, and a lot of that comes from the players. Even if the other teams are winning, we just have to keep winning ourselves.

"There hasn't been a question that we aren't going to win the league. I would love to tell you there has been pressure, tears, highs and lows – but we just come in on Monday looking to the next game."

Palace's promotion caps a remarkable rise – and it has not always been smooth.

Founded in 1992, the team played in the regional divisions of English football until the restructuring of the league pyramid in 2018 when they were elected into the Championship along with Manchester United, among others.

The early years of Championship football were not easy. On the pitch, the team struggled to compete in their debut 2018-19 campaign as they won just three of 20 league matches to finish second bottom.

From 'Harry's Heroes' to record breakers

Annabel Johnson is Palace’s longest-serving current player, having joined in 2019, and she remembers an extremely different environment when she arrived five years ago.

"Since I've joined, the club is unrecognisable. We trained two nights a week, and had to stop when the floodlights turned off at 10pm," Johnson told BBC Sport. "We only had one gym slot a week.

"The backing and structure from the club has grown massively. You have to be careful when the club takes over and you get integrated with the men; you can't just click your fingers and everything changes. Gradually I've seen the club getting better, and that will continue into the future."

Off the field, the club made headlines for the wrong reasons in 2018 with reports of some female players being told to come up with £250 each in sponsorship or risk being let go.

While the club said the sponsorship was not a prerequisite to play for Palace, the issue rumbled on enough for men’s first-team star Wilfried Zaha to get involved with "a substantial financial contribution".

That season also saw Palace's women feature as opposition to a men’s England Legends team for the ITV series "Harry's Heroes"., external An England team featuring retired former players David Seaman, Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier, managed by Harry Redknapp, beat Palace 1-0 thanks to a Merson goal.

After those rocky early days, Palace became a staple of the second tier. Before stepping up a gear in 2023-24, they finished seventh, fourth and fifth in the previous three seasons.

The promotion campaign has been hard fought. After a single week at the top after three games, Palace did not reach the summit again until the 20th round of fixtures - with two matches remaining.

They are nonetheless deserving champions.

"With football you go week by week, so you don't go crazy with the records," said Johnson, who was speaking before the Sunderland game.

"But it has been so positive, and when the final whistle goes we will appreciate it."

Kaminski sends Eagles soaring to success

Going forward, Palace blew teams away, scoring 55 goals in 22 games. Wales international Elise Hughes has been the star with 16 strikes.

Hughes' crowning as the Championship's top scorer, however, was spoiled when she suffered an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury against Charlton in Palace's penultimate game, condemning her to months on the sidelines.

"We were all gutted to hear about Elise's injury, but we are happy and proud of the season she has had," said Everett.

Palace's achievement is even more impressive given the issues of their previous season when former manager Dean Davenport left the club.

Davenport had been manager for 10 years, overseeing the club's rise.

He was suspended, alongside two other members of staff, in March 2023 following a complaint about conduct and officially departed two months later.

Kaminski has succeeded in taking Palace to the next level.

This is the first time she has been a boss at senior club level, having spent five years in charge of the England Under-19 team and been assistant manager when Tottenham were promoted to the Women's Super League.

She joined Palace from Charlton, where she also served as assistant manager, and has now beaten her old employers to promotion.

Next season will be a different challenge entirely, now the big time beckons.

As Bristol City's struggles proved, it can be tricky for promoted teams to survive in the WSL.

"It's a big jump in the league, we have to respect that, so we will look into what those challenges are," Williams said.

What is clear for now is that this vibrant Palace side have earned the right to take on any and every challenge that stands in front of them.

It’s an unavoidable sight: across Europe, almost all major cities have a competing network of open-top buses vying for visitors’ attention, with agents pushing leaflets into the hands of bewildered tourists. The rival companies, all with similar names and liveries, charge outrageously high prices. And it is hard to argue that they encourage exploration, instead lulling customers into a passive engagement: here, the Eiffel Tower, there, the Louvre.

Nascently, we know public transport must be an option, and it must pass the sights, too. But how to find the routes? In places like Barcelona, that search is increasingly difficult – as part of its efforts to curb overtourism, the city has removed certain bus routes from Google and Apple Maps because sightseers aren’t leaving any room for residents.

Happily, there are some truly spectacular public bus routes across the continent that cost a fraction of the tourist bus. Many have fixed prices, charging not by number of journeys but by time, meaning you can use it to facilitate exploration rather than for a sit down. Here are some of Europe’s greatest public bus routes for sightseeing.

Nice – the 5

The best way to explore Nice’s glittering seafront is by foot – especially as that allows for an impromptu beach session. If the summer heat becomes stifling, however, the tram network allows air-conditioned escape, moving from breezy boulevards to the Old Town.

It’s the number 5 bus, however, that really allows you to leave the oppressive city centre and loop up into the wilder mountainside. Embark at the Jean Médecin stop, where the bus almost immediately starts travelling north: past the bustling shopping streets and up onto the hillside. Jump off at any point to take pictures of the Riviera views, or disembark at Musée Chagall or Musée Matisse, for a glimpse of how France’s modernist sons viewed the city.

Price: Pick up La Carte from an official vendor, and top up the required amount for your journey. Single trips start at €1.70 (£1.46)

Plan your trip: An expert travel guide to Nice

Paris – the 69

The 69 bus in Paris is extremely useful for moving around the city, and while its sightseeing potential should not be underestimated, its utility – and length – means that the holidaymaker may find themselves using it for entirely practical reasons.

If it is attractions you are interested in, embark at the grand Esplanade des Invalides, trundle over the Pont du Carrousel, past the Louvre, up to the Pont Neuf. From here, you’ll be able to spot the Île de la Cité and the half-restored Notre Dame. Disembark for a coffee and a croissant, or continue until Père Lachaise, near the end of the line, for a tour of Paris’s most storied cemetery.

If you are in the city to explore its galleries, instead head west from Bastille-Rue Saint Antoine for a particularly museum-heavy route, passing the Pompidou Centre, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin, ending at the Hôtel des Invalides. At various points along the route, the Eiffel Tower looms into view, so have your camera ready for a quick photo opportunity.

Price: €2.50 (£2.14) for a one-way “onboard SMS ticket”; €2.15 (£1.84) for a one-way t+ ticket, sold at vending machines at transport stops.

Plan your trip: How to spend the perfect weekend in Paris

Rome – the 64

The 64 bus, which runs from the central railway terminus to the Vatican, is a remarkably effective way of moving through the city. Buses run every six to 10 minutes, meaning you won’t be waiting for long. Be warned, though: it can get extremely crowded at peak times, making them a pickpocket’s favourite. Travellers should have their wits about them (and read our guide to avoiding thieves before any trip). Still, the journey runs through the city centre, giving passengers the opportunity to spy numerous ornate churches (the Chiesa di Santa Caterina da Siena is a favourite), past the grand Palazzo delle Esposizioni, and on to San Pietro station.

From here, it’s a quick wander into Vatican City. Book in advance to see the resplendent Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums, or shell out for a private tour. Stop for espresso, explore the Basilica, then return to the centre of Rome on the same bus. Price: Contactless tap&go tickets – payable by contactless bank card upon boarding – cost €1.50 (£1.29) per 100 minutes.

Plan your trip: The 27 best things to do in Rome

London – the 24

Numerous buses pass through London’s centre: the 11 glides along Fleet Street, the 9 past the Ritz. But visitors are advised most of all to board the 24 at Victoria Station (tapping an Oyster or bank card on the readers downstairs), and head to the front seats of the upper deck. Here, as the new Routemaster curves around London’s streets, you’ll see a resplendent Westminster Abbey, run along Whitehall, past Downing Street, around Trafalgar Square, into busy Soho, and then out of the city, heading north, to the leafy, mansion-lined streets of Hampstead.

Following the route in its entirety will take some time – but that makes it all the more special. Sail past the crowded, low-quality tourist buses, and instead supplement inane commentary with a DIY guide. And as a typical fare charges per hour, rather than per journey, you can even hop on and off as if it were a more commercial offering.

Price: £1.75 per hour, payable by Oyster or bank card when boarding the bus.

Plan your trip: An expert travel guide to London

Berlin – the 100

There are snippets of history on every corner in Berlin. To navigate through them, take the 100 bus from Alexanderplatz – once a military training ground, and now the biggest square in the city. Snap pictures beneath the Television Tower, then hop onto the bus. The journey will take you past Berlin Cathedral, with its grand baroque domes, along the river, where Museum Island should make for some brilliant photographs, and on to the Brandenburg Gate.

Onwards to the Bundestag (once the Reichstag), the Kaiser Wilhelm church, and the zoo, which opened in 1844 and has one of the largest collections of animals in the world. Disembark here for a creature-filled day out, or follow the route back to Alexanderplatz and take the 200 to Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie.

Price: One-way fares, valid for up to two hours, cost between €2.40 (£2.06) and €3.50 (£3) depending on the number of stops. Buy from a bus driver or in advance at vending machines.

Plan your trip: Where to stay in Berlin: the best areas and neighbourhoods

Venice – the 1

Does a water bus count as a bus? The vaporetto is a fine equivalent in Venice, where water-borne travel is a necessity. The number 1 curls through the Grand Canal, stopping some 20 times among the winding, ancient streets – taking in the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s. In fact, such is its utility, visitors arriving at Venice Central Station will likely use it without realising.

As the rest of the city buckles (or bolsters) under the pressure of excess visitors, so too does the vaporetto. Attempt to board during peak season and you’ll find yourself firmly in a queue – or at least something approximating a queue – for some time. At quieter times, board the vaporetto as a sunset sightseeing tour, ticking off the major sights before heading to one of the city’s best restaurants for dinner.

Price: A one-way, one-hour journey costs €7.50 (£6.43), purchasable at Hellovenezia ticket desks.

Plan your trip: How to spend a vibrant weekend in Venice