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Cristiano Ronaldo demands lifetime bans over Diogo Jota chants as Saudi football authorities promise action
Saudi football authorities are pursuing disciplinary action after Al-Taawoun fans taunted Ruben Neves using the name of the late Diogo Jota.
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Saudi Arabian football authorities have promised disciplinary action after a section of Al-Taawoun supporters appeared to use the name of the late Diogo Jota to taunt Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, prompting Cristiano Ronaldo to call for those responsible to be permanently banned from football stadiums.
The incident occurred during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 Saudi Pro League victory away to Al-Taawoun in Buraidah on Saturday. Footage circulated on social media appeared to show supporters repeatedly chanting Jota’s name towards Neves, who was one of the former Liverpool forward’s closest friends and played alongside him for both Wolves and the Portugal national team.
Neves noticed the chants during the match and responded by pointing towards his eye and then towards the sky. The midfielder was visibly unhappy with the episode and, while passing through the mixed zone after the match, said: “I hope they don’t go to pray afterwards.”
Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in north-western Spain in July 2025. Neves’ relationship with Jota extended well beyond their time together on the pitch, with the Al-Hilal midfielder serving as one of the pallbearers at his former teammate’s funeral.
The episode prompted Al-Hilal to lodge a formal complaint with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, while Al-Taawoun also condemned the conduct and said it would cooperate with the relevant authorities. The controversy then led to an official intervention from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL).
In a joint statement issued on Sunday night, the two bodies condemned what they described as “unacceptable conduct by some supporters” and made clear that disciplinary proceedings had begun. “Exploiting personal tragedies for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football,” the statement said.
SAFF added that the relevant committees had already identified the conduct in question and “will take the necessary action in accordance with the applicable regulations and procedures”. The federation said the outcome of the process would be announced once it had been completed. No specific punishment had been announced at the time of the statement.
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Cristiano Ronaldo demands permanent stadium bans
Ronaldo, who shared the Portugal dressing room with both Jota and Neves and now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, reacted strongly after footage of the chants emerged. Responding from his personal Instagram account to a post showing the incident, Ronaldo urged the league to punish the supporters involved. “The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo wrote. He went further in his final demand, saying: “People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.”
Ronaldo also said there had to be limits to what could be accepted as part of football rivalry, making it clear that he regarded the use of Jota’s death to provoke Neves as having crossed that line.
The comments effectively amounted to a call for lifetime stadium bans for those responsible, placing further pressure on Saudi football authorities to impose a significant punishment. SAFF’s subsequent statement confirmed that the matter had reached the disciplinary committees and that action would follow.
The controversy overshadowed what had otherwise been an emphatic night for Al-Hilal, who won 6-0, with Neves playing 75 minutes before being substituted. The focus after the match, however, quickly shifted from the result to the treatment of the Portuguese midfielder and the response it generated across Saudi football.
