Saudi club handed two-game stadium ban and fined after Diogo Jota chants taunting Ruben Neves
Al Taawoun have been given a two-game stadium ban in the Saudi Pro League and fined 100,000 riyals ($26,660, £19,796) after fans were filmed chanting the name of the late footballer Diogo Jota.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced an investigation after Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves appeared to be taunted by the chants during their away league win on Saturday.
The SAFF disciplinary and ethics committee found Al Taawoun’s supporters to have violated article (51-2) of their regulations, issuing the fine and ban at the Buraydah Stadium as a result. The decision is not subject to appeal.
Jota died in July 2025 aged just 28. He and his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva passed away when the car they were in crashed in Zamora, Spain.
After the incident came to light, Cristiano Ronaldo called on the fan behaviour to be punished, saying that those involved “should never be allowed to enter a stadium again”. Ronaldo — a Portugal international team-mate of Neves — plays for Saudi club Al Nassr and played alongside Jota.
Posting on Instagram, Ronaldo wrote: “The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior. 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.”
Neves, standing two places to Cristiano Ronaldo’s left inherited Jota’s No 21 with the Portugal national team (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
A statement from Al Hilal said the behavior “contravenes sporting values and ethics, transcending the boundaries of competition and fan support”.
What happened in the match?
Footage widely circulated on social media, filmed from the Al Taawoun Club Stadium stands, shows Al Hilal’s Neves standing over a free-kick close to the home fans when chants of ‘Jota, Jota, Jota’ become audible.
The central midfielder appeared to sarcastically applaud supporters, before repeating the actions of pointing to the sky and then making an eye-pointing gesture towards the section of the stand, off camera, from where the chant appears to emanate.
The 29-year-old, walking past media after the match, can be seen briefly telling reporters: “I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did.” He did not go into further detail on the incident.
Neves and Jota were close personally and professionally
Born just four months apart, the pair were team-mates at youth international level for Portugal and then at Porto, before both joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship in July 2017, aged 20.
The two were Wolves team-mates for three seasons, both families lived in the Compton area of Wolverhampton and, each with young children, socialised together. On the pitch, Jota and Neves helped Wolves rise to the Premier League while each became regulars on international duty with Portugal’s senior squad.
Neves has a tattoo on his calf of himself and Jota embracing, a permanent reminder of their close friendship. The Al Hilal midfielder was a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.
The tattoo Neves has on his left calf, of him and Jota (Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
Jota, who won 49 caps for Portugal and wore the No 21 shirt for his country, had his national shirt number inherited by Neves in August last year. “He had a very close relationship with Diogo and is the ideal person to represent him,” then-Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez said of the decision.