Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been hit with a two-match stadium ban and fined 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) after supporters repeatedly chanted the name of late footballer Diogo Jota at Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves.
The chants came during Al-Taawoun’s 6-0 defeat to Al-Hilal on Saturday, with supporters repeatedly shouting “Jota” at Neves, who was a close friend and former team-mate of the Portuguese forward.
Jota died alongside his brother, Andre Silva, in a car crash in Spain in July 2025. He was 28.
Neves, who played alongside Jota at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal, was also one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
The Al-Hilal midfielder reacted to the chants during the match before expressing his disappointment after the final whistle.
“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did,” Neves told reporters.
The incident drew condemnation from across Saudi football, with Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo among those calling for severe punishment.
Ronaldo, who played alongside both Jota and Neves for Portugal, said fans responsible for the chants should receive lifetime stadium bans.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo said on social media.
“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.”
Al-Hilal subsequently filed a formal complaint with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, calling for action against the supporters involved.
The club said it “absolutely” rejected conduct targeting players, their families or anyone with the intention of causing personal offence.
Al-Taawoun also condemned the behaviour and distanced itself from the supporters responsible.
The club described the conduct as “completely unacceptable” and said it did not represent Al-Taawoun, its supporters or the values associated with its terraces.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League also condemned the chants, saying they were inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and the principles of sportsmanship.
They said using personal tragedies as a means of abuse or provocation had no place in the sport.
The relevant authorities subsequently identified the conduct and investigated the incident before the disciplinary action against Al-Taawoun.
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club. He also scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for Portugal.
Neves has continued to honour the memory of his close friend since his death, including wearing Portugal’s No. 21 shirt and having a tattoo depicting the pair embracing.
