Al Taawoun Faces Heavy Sanction for Inappropriate Chants

Al Taawoun have been hit with a heavy sanction after a section of their supporters mocked the death of Portugal star 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 them to play their next two league games behind closed doors, stripping them of home support after the incident.

Chants aimed at Neves

The flashpoint came on Saturday, Sept. 12, with Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves standing over a free kick at Al Taawoun’s ground. As he prepared to strike the ball, footage shared widely on social media picked up chants of “Jota! Jota! Jota!” from parts of the home end.

Neves heard it. He stopped, looked up, and responded with a slow, sarcastic applause and a thumbs up. Then he pointed to the sky, before turning back toward the fans, a clear gesture that he understood exactly what was being said and who it was aimed at.

For Neves, this was not just noise from the stands. He and Jota had shared dressing rooms at Porto, Wolves and with the Portugal national team. They were close enough that Neves served as a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.

SAFF: ‘Exploiting personal tragedies is unacceptable’

The reaction from Saudi football’s authorities was swift and strong.

“The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Professional League express their condemnation of the unacceptable behavior exhibited by some fans during the Al-Taawoun vs. Al-Hilal match in the seventh round of the Saudi Professional League. This behavior is contrary to the values of Saudi football and sportsmanship,” SAFF said in a statement.

“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 significant financial penalty and two matches with no supporters allowed, a clear attempt to send a message to the wider league.

Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans

The incident did not stay within Saudi borders. It reached one of the biggest names in the sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who played alongside both Neves and Jota for Portugal, responded sharply to an Instagram post highlighting the chants.

“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior,” Ronaldo said. “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 of many who saw the footage: this had crossed a line that players and governing bodies insist must remain non-negotiable.

Al Taawoun distance themselves from fans

Al Taawoun moved quickly to separate 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 game.

“Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone's feelings.”

The sanction now forces Al Taawoun to play in silence for their next two league fixtures, a stark contrast to the charged atmosphere that usually greets opponents. The question is whether that empty-stadium echo will be enough to stop this kind of chanting from ever being heard again in Saudi football.