Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home matches behind closed doors after supporters targeted Ruben Neves with chants about his late friend Diogo Jota.
The club have also received a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals – approximately £20,000 – following the disturbing scenes during their 6-0 defeat by Al-Hilal.
Footage circulated on social media appeared to show a section of Al-Taawoun supporters repeatedly chanting Jota’s name towards Neves during the match.
The Portuguese midfielder responded by pointing towards the sky, then gesturing towards his eyes and in the direction of the crowd.
Neves appeared to be warning those involved that “God is watching” before turning his attention back to the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo subsequently demanded lifetime stadium bans for the individuals responsible, insisting their actions had crossed a line beyond football rivalry.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” the Portugal captain wrote on Instagram.
Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home matches behind closed doors after supporters targeted Ruben Neves with chants about his late friend Diogo Jota
|
@RAZEDFOOTBALL
“This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.”
Neves briefly addressed the incident while passing through the mixed zone following Al-Hilal’s emphatic victory.
“I hope they don’t go to prayer later,” he told reporters, seemingly contrasting the supporters’ conduct with religious teachings.
Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota spent three years together at Wolves together
|
INSTAGRAM/RUBEN NEVES
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash in northern Spain in July 2025. The former Liverpool forward was 28.
Neves developed a close friendship with Jota while the pair played together for Wolves and the Portugal national team.
The Al-Hilal midfielder was one of the pallbearers at Jota’s funeral and has continued to honour his former team-mate in several emotional ways.
Neves unveiled a tattoo depicting the pair embracing, while Portugal handed him Jota’s No 21 shirt. He also wears the same number at Al-Hilal.
The 29-year-old has remained a source of support for Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, who married the footballer just 11 days before the fatal crash.
Diogo Jota died in a car crash last year | PA
Saudi Arabia international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat also condemned the chants, describing the behaviour as “wrong and unacceptable”.
The Al-Ahli player said he felt obligated to speak out as a Muslim and argued that sporting rivalry could never justify mocking somebody who had died.
“No matter how intense the rivalry or the situation, we should never stoop to gloating over the dead,” he wrote on Instagram.
Abu Al-Shamat added that Saudi football should use its rapidly growing global audience to promote an image of Islam based on “love, tolerance and respect”.
