Constructors Odebrecht SA and entertainment group AEG reclaimed ownership from the Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee in November.

But reports in the O Globo newspaper earlier this month showed how the iconic stadium - which also hosted the final of the FIFA World Cup in 2014 - swiftly descended into an alarming "state of abandonment".

Spotty patches of burned-out turf has marked the pitch, it was reported, while the grass has been allowed to grow far longer than normal.

Destroyed furniture, holes in the walls and exposed wires are all supposedly visible, while electrical outages and a "noticeable smell of mould" were also recorded.

The consortium are reportedly attempting to sell the stadium to a different company but have, in the meantime, been ordered to improve their work.

A preliminary ruling from the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Justice ruled that Odebrecht - as the consortium leader - should immediately resume the maintenance and operation of the sporting complex.

They will be subject to a fine of R$200,000 (£51,500/$62,000/€58,000) per day if they do not do this. 

Odebrecht are thought to have a 95 per cent stake while AEG own the remaining five per cent.

The company are heavily implicated in the Operation Car Wash corruption investigation in which dozens of top Brazilian politicians are accused of accepting bribes in return for approving deals.

They also admitted to making similar payments to secure public contracts in Peru last month, with the resulting political fallout blamed for the Peruvian Olympic Committee's failure to pay money owed to the Pan American Sports Organization before the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

The 78,000 seater Maracanã was originally built for the 1950 World Cup but underwent a $600 million (£488 million/€569 million) renovation in order to successfully host the World Cup and Olympics.

According to O Globo, Odebrecht claim to have lost R$147 million (£380 million/$450 million/€430 million) during their running of the stadium between 2013 and 2015.

It is hoped they may be able to complete the sale over the next month.

Candidates, O Globo add, include French/Brazilian partnership Lagardère and BWA and Anglo-Brazil-Dutch triumvirate CSM, GL Eventos and Amsterdam ArenA.

This comes as concerns mount over the future of many other Olympic and Paralympic venues.

Rio City Hall last week confirmed the closure of the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest concentration of competition venues during Rio 2016, amid a failure to find a use for it. 

It had been due to be used as a park and recreation area as a major legacy for local people following the Games.