Al-Taawoun Club, one of the teams in the Saudi Professional League, has faced a two-match stadium ban due to the inappropriate behavior of a group of its fans. This ban was issued after fans insulted Ruben Neves during the match against Al-Hilal in memory of the late player Diogo Jota.
Details of the Incident and Neves' Reaction
During Al-Taawoun's 6-0 defeat against Al-Hilal, images of fans chanting Diogo Jota's name at Neves were published. Neves, who is known to be one of Diogo Jota's closest friends and teammates in the Portugal national team and Wolverhampton, reacted to the insults by pointing to the sky and then to his eyes, showing the fans that "God is watching." His action reflected his deep disappointment and sadness over the fans' behavior.
Read more: Arvid Lindblad, Formula One Star, Passed the Driving Theory Test
Reactions from Cristiano Ronaldo and Others
Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the Portugal national team, strongly criticized the fans' behavior and called for their permanent ban from attending the stadium. He wrote in an Instagram post: "The league must take action and punish this type of behavior. This is no longer football, and there must be boundaries. Those who behave this way should never be allowed to enter the stadium."
Ruben Neves also responded to reporters after the match, saying: "I hope they don't go to pray later." His comment somewhat highlighted the contradiction between the fans' behavior and religious teachings.
Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car accident in northern Spain in July 2025. Diogo, who was only 28 years old, is recognized as one of Neves' best friends, and Neves was one of his pallbearers at his funeral.
Meanwhile, Saleh Abulshama, a player for Al-Ahli, also described the behavior of Al-Taawoun's fans as "wrong and unacceptable" in a social media post and emphasized the need to adhere to Islamic principles in sports competitions.
This incident has once again raised serious discussions about fan behavior in stadiums and the necessity for football federations to adopt serious measures. Given that the Saudi Professional League is currently attracting global attention, such behaviors could negatively impact the image of this league and the sports culture of the country.
Read more: Aston Villa Increased Pressure on Frank Lampard with 3-1 Victory Against Coventry · Allocation of 100 Tickets to England Fans for the Match Against Croatia in the Nations League
