Al Taawoun Fined 100,000 Riyals for Jota Chants
Al Taawoun have been fined 100,000 riyals ($26,660) and ordered to play their next two league games behind closed doors after a section of their supporters mocked the death of Portugal star Diogo Jota during a Saudi Pro League match against Al Hilal.
The incident unfolded on Saturday, September 12, with Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves standing over a free kick at Al Taawoun’s ground. As he prepared to strike the ball, chants of “Jota! Jota! Jota!” rang out from the stands, a taunt aimed squarely at a player who had been one of his closest friends.
Neves heard it. The cameras caught his reaction. He offered a slow, sarcastic applause, raised a thumbs up, then pointed to the sky before gesturing back toward the fans, a pointed acknowledgement that he understood exactly what they were doing.
The two had shared dressing rooms at Porto, Wolves and with the Portugal national team. Neves had carried Jota’s coffin as a pallbearer at his funeral. On Saturday, in a foreign league far from home, that grief was dragged into a football stadium and turned into ammunition.
SAFF: ‘Exploiting personal tragedies is unacceptable’
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation moved quickly.
In a strongly worded statement, the federation and the Saudi Professional League condemned what they called “unacceptable behavior” from some supporters during the Al Taawoun vs Al Hilal clash in the seventh round of the league.
“This behavior is contrary to the values of Saudi football and sportsmanship,” the statement read.
They went further, addressing the core of the incident.
“SAFF and the League emphasize that exploiting personal tragedies to incite or provoke is unacceptable and has no place in Saudi football.”
The punishment followed: a 100,000-riyal fine for Al Taawoun and an order that the club’s next two league fixtures be played behind closed doors, stripping their home of its crowd and noise in response to the chants.
Ronaldo calls for lifetime stadium bans
The footage did not just stay in Saudi Arabia. It spread quickly across social media, reaching former teammates and friends of both Neves and Jota.
Cristiano Ronaldo, now a star for Al Nassr and a long-time Portugal colleague of the pair, reacted publicly under an Instagram post documenting the incident. His response was blunt.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior,” he 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.”
No nuance, no attempt to soften the blow. For Ronaldo, there was a clear line, and it had been crossed.
Al Taawoun distance themselves from fans’ chants
Al Taawoun, the club at the center of the storm, also moved to distance themselves from the scenes in their own stadium.
“Such behavior is completely unacceptable and does not represent Al Taawoun Club, its fans, or the values for which the club’s stands are known,” the club said in a statement after the match.
They underlined the principle that had been trampled in those few seconds over a dead ball.
“Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone’s feelings.”
A free kick, a few chants, and a gesture from a grieving friend have now forced the league, its biggest star, and one of its clubs to draw a hard line. The question is whether this punishment will be enough to ensure that line is never crossed again.
