Al-Taawoun Ordered to Play Home Matches Behind Closed Doors

Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play their next two Saudi Pro League home 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 club have also been hit with a 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) fine.

Chants over a tragedy

The incident came before Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win on Saturday, when Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly shouted “Jota” at Neves. The chants targeted the Portugal international’s grief over Jota, who died in a car crash in July last year at the age of 28.

Neves and Jota shared a dressing room at Wolverhampton Wanderers and with Portugal, building a bond that went far beyond the pitch. Neves now wears the number 21 shirt for the national team in Jota’s honour and has a tattoo on his calf of the pair embracing. He also served as a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.

Faced with the taunts, Neves did not hide his anger. After the match he told reporters: “I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did.”

Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans

The incident reverberated well beyond the stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo, now at Al-Nassr and a long-time Portugal team-mate of Jota, publicly demanded lifetime bans for those involved in the chanting, underlining the depth of feeling among players who knew the forward.

Club distances itself from fans

Al-Taawoun moved quickly to distance the institution from the behaviour of some of its supporters.

In a statement, the club said: “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known.

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

The punishment means Al-Taawoun will now play in an empty home stadium twice, a stark backdrop and a reminder that, even in a league chasing global attention, there are clear lines that cannot be crossed.