Al Taawoun Sanctioned for Mocking Diogo Jota During Match
Al Taawoun have been hit with a heavy sanction after sections of their support mocked the late Portugal forward Diogo Jota during a Saudi Pro League clash with Al Hilal.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) fined the club 100,000 riyals ($26,660) and ordered their next two league games to be played behind closed doors, stripping them of home support as punishment for the chants.
Chants aimed at Ruben Neves
The incident unfolded on Saturday, Sept. 12, when Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves stood over a free kick at Al Taawoun’s stadium. As he prepared to take it, some home fans could be heard chanting “Jota! Jota! Jota!” in his direction, footage of which quickly spread across social media.
Neves reacted instantly. He offered a sarcastic applause and a thumbs up, then pointed to the sky before gesturing back toward the stands, a clear acknowledgment of what he had just heard.
For Neves, this was not just noise from the terraces. He and Jota shared the pitch at Porto, Wolves, and with the Portugal national team. He carried Jota’s coffin as a pallbearer at his funeral. The chants cut deep.
SAFF condemns “unacceptable” behavior
SAFF moved quickly once the clips circulated.
In a joint statement with the Saudi Professional League, the federation “condemned the unacceptable behavior exhibited by some fans during the Al-Taawoun vs. Al-Hilal match in the seventh round of the Saudi Professional League,” calling it “contrary to the values of Saudi football and sportsmanship.”
They went further, stressing a red line had been crossed: “SAFF and the League emphasize that exploiting personal tragedies to incite or provoke is unacceptable and has no place in Saudi football.”
The verdict: a significant fine and two home matches without supporters, a clear attempt to send a message to the wider league.
Ronaldo demands lifetime bans
The incident did not stay within Saudi borders. It reached one of the biggest names in the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a former teammate of both Neves and Jota with Portugal, reacted sharply under a post on Instagram that highlighted the chants.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior,” Ronaldo 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.”
His words echoed the anger felt across much of the football community: mocking a player’s death is beyond rivalry, beyond banter.
Al Taawoun distance themselves from fans
Al Taawoun, under intense scrutiny, moved to distance the club from the actions of those in the stands.
“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 line that must not be crossed: “Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone’s feelings.”
The punishment is already set. The games will go ahead in silence. The bigger question now hangs over the terraces across the league: where does football draw the line, and who makes sure it holds?
