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 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. 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 incident occurred during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 Saudi Pro League victory away to Al-Taawoun in Buraidah on Saturday. Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in north-western Spain in July 2025. 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. 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 controversy then led to an official intervention from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL).
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. 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. 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.
