Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play their next two home matches behind closed doors after supporters targeted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants about his late friend and former team-mate Diogo Jota.
The club have also been fined 100,000 Saudi Riyals, equivalent to around £20,000, following the incident during Al-Taawoun’s heavy 6-0 defeat by Al-Hilal.
Footage circulated on social media showed groups of Al-Taawoun supporters repeatedly chanting Jota’s name in Neves’ direction during the match.
Neves responds with pointed gesture
Neves appeared to respond without directly confronting the supporters, making a gesture that seemed to communicate that God was watching.
The Portugal international first pointed towards the sky, then towards his eyes before directing the gesture towards the chanting fans.
He repeated the sequence before turning his attention back to the match.
The midfielder later 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,” Neves told reporters, appearing to draw attention to the contrast between the supporters’ behaviour and religious teachings.
Ronaldo demands lifetime bans
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s captain and a fellow figure in the Saudi Pro League, publicly condemned the incident and called for those responsible to receive lifetime stadium bans.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
“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 Al-Taawoun punishment follows the widespread criticism of the chants and the footage showing supporters directing them towards Neves.
Jota’s death deeply affected Neves
Jota died alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, in a car crash in northern Spain in July 2025. He was 28.
Neves had formed a particularly close friendship with Jota during their time together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and with Portugal.
The pair played alongside each other on 164 occasions, and Neves was among the pallbearers at Jota’s funeral.
Their friendship continued to be reflected in Neves’ public tributes.
The midfielder revealed last year that he had a tattoo showing himself embracing Jota as an emotional memorial to his late friend.
Portugal also chose Neves to wear Jota’s No.21 shirt, the same number he wears for Al-Hilal.
Neves continues to support Jota’s family
Beyond their football relationship, Neves has remained a source of support for Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso.
Jota and Cardoso had married just 11 days before the fatal crash, adding another deeply personal dimension to the loss for those closest to the former Liverpool forward.
Neves’ response to the chants therefore came against the backdrop of a friendship that extended well beyond their years as team-mates.
Saudi player condemns supporters’ actions
The incident also drew criticism from within Saudi football, with Al-Ahli and Saudi Arabia international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat describing the chants as “wrong and unacceptable.”
Writing on Instagram, Abu Al-Shamat said he felt compelled to address what he had witnessed and connected the issue to the religious values of Saudi Arabia.
“No matter how intense the rivalry or the situation, we should never stoop to gloating over the dead, engaging in slander, or attacking people’s families or the deceased,” he wrote.
Abu Al-Shamat added that Saudi Arabia’s status as an Islamic country placed an obligation on people to demonstrate values of “love, tolerance, and respect.”
He said the attention surrounding the Saudi Pro League could instead be used to present a positive image of Islam and stressed that he was speaking out because he considered the behaviour unacceptable.
