Al-Taawoun Fined and Punished After Fans Mock Ruben Neves

Al-Taawoun have been hit with a two-match stadium closure and a hefty fine after their supporters mocked Ruben Neves over the death of close friend Diogo Jota, in an incident that has shaken the Saudi Pro League.

The disciplinary decision orders Al-Taawoun to play their next two home league games behind closed doors and pay 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000), after fans repeatedly chanted “Jota” at Neves during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 win on Saturday.

It was not ordinary sledging. It cut straight into a raw wound.

Jota, the Liverpool forward and Portugal international, died in a car crash in July last year at the age of 28. He and Neves came through together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and shared a dressing room with the national team. Their friendship ran deep.

Neves now wears Portugal’s number 21 shirt in Jota’s honour. He has a tattoo on his calf of the pair embracing. He helped carry Jota’s coffin as a pallbearer. Every tribute is deliberate, permanent, personal.

So when the chants came, they struck at the heart of that grief.

Supporters targeted Neves before and during the match, using Jota’s name as a taunt. After the final whistle, the midfielder did not hide his anger or disappointment. “I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did,” he told reporters, a line that captured both his hurt and his disbelief.

The reaction spread quickly beyond the stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Al-Nassr and a former Portugal team-mate of both Jota and Neves, publicly called for lifetime bans for those involved in the chanting, underlining how seriously players inside the league view the incident.

Faced with growing outrage, Al-Taawoun moved to distance the club from the behaviour of sections of their support. In a statement, they condemned the chants in stark terms.

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

The punishment ensures Al-Taawoun’s home ground will fall silent for their next two league fixtures. The message from the authorities is just as clear: cross the line from rivalry into cruelty, and the game will go on without you.