Saudi Pro League fine and ban Al-Taawoun after Diogo Jota chants at Rúben Neves
Ronaldo calls for lifetime stadium bans after 'no longer football' chants
A 6-0 home thrashing by Al-Hilal was painful enough for Al-Taawoun supporters. What followed in the closing moments of the match on Saturday evening was, in the words of one of the game's biggest stars, no longer football at all.
As the final whistle sounded, a small number of Al-Taawoun fans in the stands turned their attention to Al-Hilal's Rúben Neves in the centre circle and began chanting the name of his former Portugal and Wolves teammate Diogo Jota — the Liverpool forward who tragically died in a car accident in July 2025. Neves, who carries a tattoo of Jota, was visibly upset and made a gesture that clearly told those supporters: 'God is watching you.'
Neves did not hold back afterwards. 'I hope they don't go to pray afterwards,' he told Saudi reporters, the hurt evident in his response to a chant that exploited personal grief for provocation.
The episode drew the attention of Cristiano Ronaldo, who the following day wrote to his 680 million Instagram followers to address the events. Al-Hilal's £150m-plus forward line of Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli had struck five goals between them in the rout, but it was the conduct of a minority of away fans that dominated the fallout.
'The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,' Ronaldo wrote. '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 promptly lodged an official complaint.
'You should have some humanity' — Saudi figures unite in condemnation
The backlash was swift and cross-generational inside Saudi football. Ayman al-Hotami, one of Al-Hilal's best-known supporters, said he found the chants hard to believe. 'Those responsible were few in number and very young,' he said. 'Al-Hilal's fanbase completely condemn the chants and demanded an apology regarding the actions of individuals in their stands. We appreciate the club's response in condemning this isolated incident, which represents neither the club nor our society.'
Well-known Saudi broadcaster Waleed al-Faraj drew a pointed line between sporting rivalry and cruelty. 'To shout 'Messi' at Ronaldo is acceptable within the context of the rivalry between them, but to chant the name of his deceased teammate Jota at Neves is an inappropriate act,' al-Faraj said. 'How can you play on people's grief like this? You should have some humanity.'
Sami al-Jaber, the Saudi legend who played at four World Cups and had a short spell in England with Wolves, sent a direct message of support to Neves. 'Rúben, your presence in Saudi football means a great deal to us. As Saudis, we take pride in our values of respect and hospitality … they transcend any sporting rivalry. This behaviour does not reflect those values. I hope you know how warmly you are regarded here, and how much you belong.'
Federation acts — but some say more was needed
Four days after Ronaldo's intervention, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL) issued a joint statement condemning the 'unacceptable conduct by some supporters in attendance', describing the chants as inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and sportsmanship in general. An earlier statement had made the principle clear: 'exploiting personal tragedies for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football.'
Al-Taawoun have been handed a fine of around £20,000 and ordered to play two matches behind closed doors. The club had already condemned what happened, saying it was 'not representative of their supporters'. Some observers felt the moment was a missed opportunity to send a zero-tolerance message with harsher punishments for those individuals responsible, though few argued with the punishment given that the club itself had disowned the fans involved.
The incident also serves as a wider warning as the league chases the global stature that comes with stars such as Ronaldo — who is just 21 goals away from 1,000 career goals. Simon Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian Sport at Emlyon Business School in Paris, noted that 'stadiums in places such as Portugal and England are nowadays heavily controlled spaces. Hence, when someone like Ronaldo encounters [verbal abuse] he will inevitably respond, thereby attracting attention from the media and others. Saudi Arabian fans need to get used to such a reaction fast.'
Chadwick added that beyond the domestic response, 'organisations such as the AFC and Fifa may even implement codes of conduct and penalties for situations like the Jota episode. In other words, if Saudi fans and/or the Pro League can't regulate or control the situation, then someone else will.' With the Asian Cup arriving in the country in January for the first time, and preparation for the 2034 World Cup underway, Saudi Arabia will be hoping outside intervention proves unnecessary.