Cruzeiro has endured a torrid campaign and needed to beat Palmeiras on the final day of the Brasileirao season and hope Ceara fell to defeat at Botafogo, but neither result went their way.

Ze Rafael and Dudu scored for Palmeiras as they won 2-0 in Belo Horizonte, while Thiago Galhardo's penalty cancelled out Marcos Vinicius' opener to earn Ceara a 1-1 draw.

The referee ordered both sets off players off the field late on in Cruzeiro's clash due to unsavoury scenes in the Mineirao stands, with supporters ripping out seats and setting off smoke bombs in protest at their team's plight.

Cruzeiro, which won the Copa Libertadores in 1976 and 1997 and was Brazilian champion as recently as 2014, lost its last five games of the campaign to finish 17th, three points behind Ceara.