Al-Taawoun handed stadium ban over Diogo Jota chants
Al-Taawoun will play their next two home league games without any fans in the stadium after supporters chanted the name of Diogo Jota.
The Saudi Pro League club were also fined 100,000 riyals (£19,796) for the incident during Saturday's league game, when audible chants of "Jota" were heard from the home end The Guardian.
The chants were directed at Al-Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves Al Jazeera. Neves was a close friend and former teammate of Jota at Wolves and with Portugal. After hearing the chanting, he gestured towards the sky.
Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward, died in the summer of 2025 alongside his brother André Silva following a car crash in Spain. Neves was one of the pallbearers at Jota's funeral.
Playing behind closed doors means the matches go ahead but supporters are locked out. The Saudi Football Federation said Al-Taawoun fans had chanted phrases that violated its Disciplinary and Ethics regulations. It said the penalty had been increased under article 39-4 of those rules.
The fine has been reported as equivalent to $26,660 The Athletic and €23,500 RTÉ.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr, condemned the chanting. The Portugal captain called for any fans found to have mocked Jota to receive lifetime bans from stadiums, in comments reported by Reuters on 13 September Reuters.
What makes this stand out is the connection between the two players. Neves and Jota came through together and remained close long after their time at Wolves. For many supporters, that gesture to the sky needed no explanation.
