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.

The Spanish media was rich in its praise of a team which worked hard to beat hosts Argentina 3-1 in the final, staged in the seaside resort of Mar del Plata.

As pointed out by every Spanish newspaper, Spain's triumph - their third in the David Cup within eight years - was made even more meritorious by the injury-related absence of world number one Rafael Nadal.

Sanchez Vicario and his players were effusively congratulated on Monday by King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, both of whom will be officially receiving the tennis team on Tuesday.

According to sports daily AS on Tuesday, the Davis Cup triumph "puts a broach of gold on the best ever year for Spanish tennis", a year which saw Nadal win the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal in Beijing and dethrone Swiss Roger Federer atop the rankings.

All in all, Spain won 18 medals in Beijing, their third highest Olympic total.

Radio station Cadena COPE on Monday called 2008 an "annus mirabilis" (a "year of miracles") for Spanish sport.

But the most high-profile Spanish triumph was that of the football team at Euro 2008, after so many years of disappointment and frustration.

That June 29 triumph in Vienna led Angel Maria Villar to be unanimously re-elected as president of the Spanish football federation on Monday.

It was also an "annus mirabilis" for Spanish cycling, with Alberto Contador winning the Giro de Italia and the Vuelta a Espana - and with Oscar Freire first in the Tour de France.

Fernando Alonso failed in his bid to regain the Formula One world title, but at he least managed to win two races for Renault.

Pau Gasol, meanwhile, became the first Spaniard to participate in an NBA basketball final, with Los Angelese Lakers, while Sergio Garcia moved up to second in the world golf rankings.

According to television channel Antena 3 on Monday night, "the sporting achievements of 2008 have gone beyond what any of us dared to hope for or expect." (dpa)