CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG/Fenerbahce v Chelsea:TO DEVOTEES of jogo bonito, the Brazil team of the early 1980s provided memories that will never fade. It remains one of football's great mysteries how the class of Zico, Socrates, Eder, Junior, Falcao et al failed to win the 1982 World Cup. When an ultra-functional Italy, fired by the goals of Paolo Rossi, knocked them out, it is said that a part of them died. Zico remains haunted by the loss.

Much has changed since then. As higher a tempo on the field has suffocated space and tested creativity and commercialism has run amok off it. The beautiful game has become endangered. Caginess holds sway. Not for Zico. Now in charge at Fenerbahce and preparing for what is being billed as the biggest game in the club's history he retains a purity of vision, his principles undiluted by the heartaches suffered.

"My philosophies as a player and as a coach are the same, they have not changed," he said. "Football's reality is the entertaining side. As a coach, you want goals, you want nice clean football and fair play. You want attractive football." Zico is not a hopeless romantic. He recognises the need for hard work. Despite his mesmeric playing skills, it was such an ethic that helped to propel him from the tough suburbs of northern Rio to global fame. His Fenerbahce team will feed off the energy whipped up by their fervent home support at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium and run themselves to a standstill.

But Zico has lifted Fenerbahce since taking over the summer before last by having his players believe primarily in their abilities as footballers. While they may largely be too young to remember him as a player, they have bought into his legend and they want to perform for him.

"Our characteristic is to attack and look for goals," said Zico. "We respect fully our opponents but we believe that we deserve to be at this stage and we are ready."

Never before have Fenerbahce reached the last eight of Europe's elite competition and the mood among their support is of heady excitement. It is quite a contrast to that from early in Zico's reign when diehards had called for his dismissal after defeat in the Champions League final qualifying round against Dynamo Kiev and a clutch of disappointing league results.

But Zico got to know his players and started to coax the best from them. Fenerbahce finished the season as Turkish champions and, this time out, having beaten Anderlecht in the final Champions League qualifying round, they have built momentum.

Zico was given money to spend in the summer by the president Aziz Yildirim, a construction magnate, who has overseen Fenerbahce being quoted on the Turkish stock market and the aggressive building of their merchandising operation. The manager spent it wisely.

Roberto Carlos was the highest profile arrival but Gokhan Gonul and Gokcek Vederson, a midfielder and defender respectively, have been as impressive. Carlos has returned to training after a lengthy injury lay-off and is expected to be a substitute but Gokhan misses out because of a one-game ban. The new boys have fused with the old, of whom a pair of Brazilians of attacking instincts are prominent. Alex, who tops the Champions League assists chart with six, and Deivid are determined to enhance their reputations.

There is little doubt that Zico's presence, not to mention the president's financial clout, helped to attract Carlos and the Brazilian influence at the club extends further. The physical preparation specialist is Moraci Sant'anna, the man who helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup.

Confidence in Fenerbahce ranks is high. "Our original objective was to get through the group stage but now it's to get to the Champions League final," said the midfielder Ugur Boral, who is emboldened by his team's home form. They won all three of their group fixtures, including a victory over Internazionale, and then edged Sevilla in the last 16. "We have a lot of belief in ourselves and we can make it."

Zico's press conference yesterday was a chaotic affair. English questions were translated into Portuguese for him and his answers relayed back in Turkish for the local media before a second interpreter gave the English. Zico's hair might be thinner and slightly greyer these days but his aura remains almost palpable. "It's important for us to play Chelsea because it will show us how far we have come," he said.

Fenerbahce waits with bated breath.