The once-mighty team, which in its heyday boasted players such as Zico and Junior, are only one point and two places clear of the relegation zone after being outclassed by Sao Paulo in a 3-2 home defeat on Saturday.

But Macedo, the club's sixth coach in the last 12 months, is still preferring to look towards the other end of the table.

Flamengo, 21st in the table, are surprisingly only seven points behind Atletico Paranaense, who are eighth with 10 matches each to play.

'Mathematically, it's still possible. I have to make the players believe there's hope. I can't just turn up here and tell everyone it's not possible,' Macedo told reporters.

Few others share his optimisim.

Players are already talking about avoiding a repitition of last year, when Flamengo saved themselves from the drop only on the last day of the championship.

BUS AMBUSHED

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar remembered that Flamengo supporters ambushed and threw stones at the bus taking the team to Sao Paulo airport after a match away to Sao Caetano.

In another incident in March, around 30 fans armed with sticks invaded the training ground and interrupted a practice, forcing the players to take cover in the changing-rooms.

'We were afraid for our physical intergrity,' said Julio Cesar. 'We avoided leaving home and I don't want to go through all that again.'

Supporters blame years of mismanagement, which culminated with president Edmundo Santos Silva being kicked out of the club earlier this year, for Flamengo's problems.

The club are millions of dollars in debt and have been forced to rely on a team of young, inexperienced players who are simply incapable of living up to the side's proud traditions.

Flamengo are currently paying wages to seven different coaches as a result of their hire-and-fire policy.

They still owe money to Carlos Alberto Torres, Carlinhos, Joel Santana, Mario Zagallo, Joao Carlos and Lula Pereira and have only recently finished paying Macedo for his previous stint which ended in 1999.

Flamengo's next match is at home to leaders Sao Caetano on Wednesday as the championship continues its hectic schedule with two rounds of matches being played every week.

Sao Caetano, runners-up in the competition for the last two years, were formed only 13 years ago - three years before Flamengo won their last Brazilian championship title.

Directors have cut ticket prices by 50 percent in an attempt to lure fans but the policy failed on Saturday when only a few thousand watched the match.