Ronaldo demands life bans after fans taunt Neves over Jota’s death
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineSaudi Arabian football authorities have vowed to take action after rival fans taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants about the death of Diogo Jota, prompting Cristiano Ronaldo to call for life bans.
Chants about Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash last year, were heard during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 away victory over Al-Taawoun on Saturday.
Ronaldo, the Saudi-based Portugal captain, called for severe punishment for supporters involved in the incident.
Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Sunday: “The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour.”
He added: “People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.”
Neves, 29, reacted to the chants from the stands by sarcastically giving a thumbs-up and applauding before pointing towards the sky.
After the match, Neves said: “I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did.”
Neves was one of Jota’s closest friends and served as a pallbearer at his funeral. Jota, 28, and his brother, Andre, 25, died in a crash in Spain in July 2025.
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The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League later condemned what they described as “unacceptable conduct by some supporters” in a joint statement on Sunday night.
The joint statement said: “Exploiting personal tragedies for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football.”
It added: “Relevant committees have identified the conduct in question and will take the necessary action in accordance with the applicable regulations and procedures.”
The incident comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 2034 World Cup, one of the flagship events underpinning its drive to diversify an economy still heavily dependent on oil.
The powerful Gulf monarchy has invested nearly two billion dollars in football over three years, attracting stars including Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema.
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