Fans at a Saudi Pro League match appeared to taunt Ruben Neves by chanting the name of his late teammate Diogo Jota. Cristiano Ronaldo has called for those responsible to be banned from stadiums for life.
The chants happened on Saturday during a game between Al-Taawoun and Neves's side Al-Hilal in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Jota died on July 3, 2025, in a car crash in Zamora, northwestern Spain, along with his brother Andre Silva. Neves, a close friend of Jota, was a pallbearer at his funeral.
Footage from the stands, shared on social media, appeared to show supporters chanting "Jota". The shouts caught Neves's attention, and he pointed to his eye and then up to the sky in response.
After the game, Neves said, "I hope they don't go to pray afterwards."
Ronaldo commented on an Instagram post showing the footage. "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," he said. "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."
The match finished 6-0 to Al-Hilal. Neves played 75 minutes before being substituted.
On Sunday, Al-Hilal Club Company said in a statement on their website that they had filed a complaint with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. The club said they were "confident" that measures would be taken to "protect the integrity of sporting competition from offensive practices". The statement added: "The Company expressed its absolute rejection of such actions targeting players or their families, or intended to cause personal offence."
Later on Sunday, Al-Taawoun also released a statement strongly condemning the chants. "Such conduct is completely unacceptable and does not represent Al-Taawoun, its supporters or the values for which its terraces are known." They said they will "take all necessary measures in coordination with the relevant authorities to prevent a recurrence and hold offenders accountable".
Source: www.aljazeera.com — Read the original article
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