THE Spain squad, returning home after a wretched World Cup in Brazil where the holders were eliminated in the first round, had another shock yesterday when their aircraft was struck by lightning as it came in to land in Madrid.

The Iberia flight, which touched down in the Spanish capital, was hit by a bolt of lightning but there were no consequences for the aircraft or the passengers, a spokeswoman for the airline confirmed.

Although such incidents are relatively common and rarely dangerous, it was perhaps a fitting end to Spain's disastrous campaign in Brazil, where they were well beaten by the Netherlands and Chile before securing a 3-0 win against Australia on Monday.