Ronaldo calls for life bans of Saudi Pro League fans after Jota chants

Fans astatine Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal crippled look to taunt Ruben Neves by chanting the sanction of his deceased teammate, Diogo Jota.

Cristiano Ronaldo ‌has said that fans who appeared to marque chants referencing ⁠former teammate Diogo ⁠Jota astatine Ruben Neves during a Saudi Pro League lucifer should beryllium banned from shot stadiums for life.

The chants occurred connected Saturday during ⁠a fixture betwixt Al-Taawoun and Neves’s broadside Al-Hilal successful Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.

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Jota died on July 3, 2025, successful a car clang successful Zamora, northwestern Spain, on ⁠with his member Andre Silva. A adjacent person of Jota, Neves was a pallbearer astatine his funeral.

Footage filmed from the stands during the lucifer and circulated connected societal media appeared to amusement supporters chanting “Jota”.

The shouts attracted the attraction of Neves, who ‌pointed to his oculus and past up to the entity successful response.

Passing done the mixed portion aft the game, Neves commented, “I anticipation they don’t spell to commune afterwards.”

In effect to an Instagram station showing the footage, Ronaldo commented from his idiosyncratic account.

“The league indispensable instrumentality enactment and punish this benignant of instrumentality behaviour,” said Ronaldo.

“This is nary longer football, and determination person to ⁠be limits. People who behave similar this should ne'er beryllium ⁠allowed to participate a stadium again.”

The crippled finished 6-0 to Al-Hilal, with Neves playing 75 minutes earlier being substituted.

Al-Hilal Club Company announced successful a connection connected their website connected Sunday that they ⁠had filed a ailment with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation relating to the incident. The Saudi Pro League nine said they ⁠were “confident” that measures would beryllium taken to “protect the integrity ⁠of sporting contention from violative practices”.

“The Company expressed its implicit rejection of specified actions targeting players oregon their families, oregon intended to origin idiosyncratic offence,” said Al-Hilal’s statement.

Later connected Sunday, Al-Taawoun besides released ‌a connection regarding the incident, which powerfully condemned the violative chants.

“Such behaviour is wholly unacceptable and does not correspond Al-Taawoun, its supporters oregon the values for which ‌its ‌terraces are known.”

Al-Taawoun accidental they volition “take each indispensable measures successful coordination with the applicable authorities to forestall a recurrence and clasp offenders accountable”.