Madrid - Spain's triumphant Davis Cup-winning tennis team flew into Madrid airport on Tuesday morning after writing the final chapter in a glorious year for Spanish sport.

Headed by captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario, the tennis heroes left Buenos Aires on Monday evening and flew into Madrid's Barajas airport early on Tuesday, to be greeted by around 200 delighted fans.

Arriving at a more hospitable hour would surely have provoked a more tumultous reception.

Madrid  - Angel Maria Villar was, as expected, re-elected as president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Monday for another four-year term.

Villar, 58, has reigned for two decades since 1988, one of the longest in world football.

He obtained 144 votes on Monday, with three votes being declared null and 18 left blank.

In his acceptance speech, he said he was "very grateful for the continued confidence in me," and promised "four more years of dedication and hard work."

Madrid - Former Tour de France champion Alberto Contador underwent surgery to relieve a blockage in his nasal passage and to remove a polyp on his vocal cord on Monday.

Contador said the operation would force him to miss a December training camp of his Astana team in Tenerife even though he will travel to the island for light training in the gym.

"The moment to take the bike again will depend of how I evolve, but I have thought to use the stage in Tenerife to make a specific work in the gym," he said on his website.

Madrid  - Youngsters Gonzalo Higuain and Wesley Sneijder have joined Real Madrid's lengthy injury list, after Saturday's tight 1-0 home win over Recreativo Huelva.

Higuain was stretchered off with a sprained left ankle, and will be out of action for around a week.

He will miss Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash away to BATE Borisov, and possibly next Sunday's league game away to Getafe.

Higuain is to be replaced by fellow Argentine Javier Saviola, who has hardly played since joining Real from Barcelona in 2007.

Sneijder limped out of Saturday's game with a pulled muscle in his right thigh, and is doubtful for Tuesday.

Madrid  - Real Madrid stumbled out of their crisis with a streaky 1-0 home win Saturday over spirited but naive Recreativo Huelva.

Real won with a 39th-minute goal from Wesley Sneijder, whose powerful left-footed drive took a wicked deflection off Huelva defender Beto and spun over hapless keeper Asier Riesgo.

The whites did not play well but could have widened their lead in the second half. Huelva showed some neat approach play but lacked power and decision in attack.

Madrid - The Spanish government is to help the country's tourism industry deal with the effects of the global financial crisis by supplying a cash injection worth some 400 million euros (500 million dollars), Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez said on Saturday.

The aid packet is intended to help modernize the tourism industry and make Spain a more attractive tourist destination, local media reports said, particularly through interest-free loans for small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector.