(Ronaldo and Jota. Photo by Punch News)
Saudi Pro League side Al-Taawoun have been hit with penalties after their supporters cruelly taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves about the death of his close friend.
The club must now play two home matches without fans and pay a fine of 100,000 Saudi Riyals, roughly £20,000.
During Saturday’s match, which Al-Hilal won 6-0, supporters repeatedly chanted the name of Diogo Jota at Neves.
Jota, a Liverpool and Portugal forward, died in a car accident last July at just 28 years old.
The two players had grown up together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and represented Portugal as teammates, sharing an especially close bond.
Neves has since honoured his friend in multiple ways.
He now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s memory and has a tattoo on his leg showing the pair embracing.
He also served as a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.
Speaking after the match, Neves expressed his disgust at the supporters’ behaviour, telling reporters he hoped they would reflect on their actions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr and was also an international colleague of Jota, responded harshly as well.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner called for lifetime bans against the fans involved in the taunting.
In a statement, Al-Taawoun condemned what happened, saying such behaviour has no place in sport and does not reflect the club’s values or its supporters.
