Al-Taawoun Punished for Taunting Neves Over Jota's Death

Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home league matches behind closed doors after sections of their support mocked Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves over the death of his close friend and former team-mate Diogo Jota.

The Saudi Pro League club have also been hit with a 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) fine following the incident, which took place before Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win on Saturday.

Taunts over Jota’s death

As Neves warmed up, Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly chanted “Jota” at the Portugal international, targeting the 27-year-old over the loss of a player he had shared a dressing room with at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for the national team.

Jota, who was playing for Liverpool, died in a car crash in July last year at the age of 28. Neves has since carried his memory with him on and off the pitch: he now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s honour, has a tattoo on his calf of the pair embracing, and served as a pallbearer at his funeral.

The chants cut deep. After the match, Neves told reporters: “I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did.”

Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans

The reaction spread quickly beyond the stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo, now at Al-Nassr and a former international team-mate of Jota, publicly demanded lifetime bans for those involved in the chanting, pushing the issue from a disciplinary matter into a wider debate about basic respect inside football grounds.

The pressure told on Al-Taawoun. The club moved to distance itself from its own fans with a strongly worded statement.

“Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known,” it read. “Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone's feelings.”

Empty stands will now greet Al-Taawoun at home for their next two league fixtures. The question is whether the punishment, and the outcry that followed, will be enough to stop this line from ever being crossed again.