Sports Secretary reviews Rex Cup after biggest crowd of the edition: pitch, helmets and security on the agenda

With the stands of Municipal Stadium Coronel Juventino Dias hosting the largest crowd of the Rex Cup 2026 (Copa Rex 2026) so far, Lavras Municipal Secretary of Sports, Leisure and Tourism Rodrigo Pacheco assessed the first matches for reporter Renato Corrêa, right after the 1-1 draw between Borussia and Botafogo on the night of Thursday, November 12.

"Today we certainly had a bigger crowd than the professional games we had during the year. A nice crowd, that behaved properly, and we had no problems", he said. The same day, he took part in the evaluation meeting for the JIMIP (Minas Gerais Inland Paralympic Games, Jogos do Interior de Minas Paralímpicos), and he brings the same approach to the Rex Cup: looking at what is not working in order to improve.

Regarding the points raised by the report, the secretary said the lighting problem has been resolved. The lawn mower, however, broke down again. "We fixed our little tractor and, the moment it did the first rows, it broke again. We will take it to a specialized workshop to solve this problem once and for all", he explained.

Another challenge involves motorcyclists who arrive at the stadium wearing helmets. "It's not good for people to come in with helmets. We trust people, but something could happen and the helmet could become a weapon. And we also need control, in case these helmets are kept with us", he said. According to him, the team will look for a solution.

On security, Rodrigo Pacheco praised the behavior of the fans, who stay only in the stands, and the Botafogo board, which issued statements asking fans to attend the game and behave. "The fans have already seen that if they don't behave, they will be punished", he said.

This game was the fourth of the competition. "I'm sure the 26 games that will take place until the end of December will go as well as possible, so that early next year we have the quarterfinals, the semifinal and the final of the biggest amateur championship in the interior of Minas Gerais", he said. The Rex Cup 2026 brings together 14 clubs.

All Rex Cup games are broadcast live on Rádio Cultura 96.5 FM and on the station's YouTube channel, with play-by-play by Júnior Murad, color commentary by João Pedro Barbosa and reporting by Renato Corrêa. The full broadcast of Borussia x Botafogo is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRrcajsf2ug

The Rex Cup 2026 is sponsored by Supermercados Rex, Lavras Municipal Government (Governo Municipal de Lavras), Sicoob Copermec, Pax Carvalho, Laboratório Santa Cecília, Chopp Brahma Express, Fábrica de Óculos, Conecta Internet, Casel Materiais de Construção, 123 Car, Fadminas (Adventist College of Minas Gerais, Faculdade Adventista de Minas Gerais) and Jornal de Lavras.