Al-Taawoun Punished for Cruel Chants Against Ruben Neves
Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two Saudi Pro League home matches behind closed doors after sections of their support mocked Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves over the death of his close friend and former team-mate Diogo Jota.
The disciplinary ruling comes with a financial penalty too: a 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) fine for the club.
Cruel chants, swift punishment
The flashpoint came before Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win on Saturday, when Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly chanted “Jota” at Neves. The taunts targeted one of the most painful chapters of the Portuguese midfielder’s life.
Jota, who played for Liverpool, died in a car crash in July last year at the age of 28. He and Neves had grown up in the game together, sharing dressing rooms at Wolverhampton Wanderers and with Portugal. Their bond ran deep.
Neves now wears Portugal’s number 21 shirt in Jota’s honour. He carries a tattoo on his calf of the pair embracing. He carried Jota’s coffin as a pallbearer at the funeral. This was not just a former colleague being mocked. It was a friend.
So when the chants rained down, the reaction was raw. After the match, Neves told reporters: “I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did.”
Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans
The incident resonated far beyond one stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo, now at Al-Nassr and a former international team-mate of Jota, publicly demanded lifetime bans for those involved in the chanting.
His intervention underlined how seriously leading figures in the league view the episode, at a time when Saudi football is under intense global scrutiny and eager to project a modern, professional image.
Club condemnation
Al-Taawoun moved quickly to distance themselves from the behaviour of their fans. In a statement, the club said:
“Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known. Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone's feelings.”
The stadium will now fall silent for two home league fixtures, not as a spectacle, but as a sanction — and a stark reminder of where the line is drawn when grief and the game collide.
