RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 13 - Corinthians defender Marquinhos said on Tuesday that he had received death threats after a double blunder in the 3-1 defeat by Sao Paulo at the weekend.

Marquinhos, 24, said he planned to leave the club after anonymous threats were phoned to his home and to his mother's after Sunday's match.

On Sunday, the player's mistake led to the second Sao Paulo goal just before halftime.

First, he lost possession to Sao Paulo forward Aloisio and then, in his desperation to regain the ball, hauled his opponent to the ground and gave away a penalty which was converted by Rogerio Ceni.

"I don't have the peace of mind to stay here," he told reporters after training on Tuesday.

"I can look after myself but what about my mother, my daughter and my wife. They can't go to the baker's or show their faces at the window. This has gone too far."

Corinthians have a huge, fanatical following but the fans are also known for quickly turning against their team when things go wrong.

The club won the Brazilian championship in 2005 but went through a difficult year in 2006 as their controversial partnership with London-based investors Media Sports Investments (MSI) ran into difficulties.