Diogo Jota chants at Rúben Neves prompt sanctions and high-profile rebukes in Saudi Pro League
Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win over Al-Taawoun on Saturday was followed by a small group of Al-Taawoun supporters chanting the name of the late Diogo Jota at Al-Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves, prompting public criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday 13 September and disciplinary action from Saudi football authorities.
The incident occurred after Al-Hilal’s heavy victory in which Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli combined for five of the goals, and left Neves visibly upset in the centre circle; Neves, who has a tattoo of Jota, said after the match: "I hope they don’t go to pray afterwards." Jota died in a car accident in July 2025, a fact referenced by the chanting crowd and in subsequent commentary.
Ronaldo, writing to his 680 million Instagram followers on Sunday, called for punishment, saying: "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," and added: "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 lodged an official complaint about the episode.
Ayman al-Hotami, described as one of Al-Hilal’s best-known fans, reacted to the chants with disbelief and condemned the actions, saying: "I found the chants hard to believe but those responsible were few in number and very young. 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." Al-Taawoun issued a statement saying the behaviour was "not representative of their supporters."
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (Saff) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL) issued a joint statement four days later: "The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (Saff) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL) condemn the unacceptable conduct by some supporters in attendance," adding that the chants were inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and sportsmanship. Al-Taawoun were fined around £20,000 and ordered to play two matches behind closed doors, and an earlier league statement said: "exploiting personal tragedies for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football."
Saudi broadcaster Waleed al-Faraj criticised the chants and contrasted them with familiar rivalries, saying: "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. How can you play on people’s grief like this? You should have some humanity." The former Saudi international Sami al-Jaber also addressed Neves directly: "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."
Academic commentary urged sharper controls and flagged possible external oversight, with Simon Chadwick saying: "Stadiums in places such as Portugal and England are nowadays heavily controlled spaces," and adding that international bodies could intervene: "Organisations such as the AFC and Fifa may even implement codes of conduct and penalties for situations like the Jota episode." The coverage underlined how incidents in smaller, lower-attendance venues can be amplified.
Some observers judged the sanctions insufficient and said the episode represented a missed opportunity to establish stronger deterrents, while the league and clubs have defended their responses. With the Asian Cup scheduled to take place in the country in January and preparations under way for the 2034 World Cup, Saudi authorities will be mindful of the wider scrutiny such incidents attract.
