Saudi discontent over "Jota chants" and measures against fans

The Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League expressed their condemnation on Sunday evening regarding the chants directed at Portuguese player Ruben Neves of Al Hilal by some Al Taawoun fans, exploiting the death of his friend and fellow countryman Diogo Jota to provoke him.

A video showing an altercation between several Al Taawoun fans and Neves went viral on social media, where chants of Jota's name were heard, prompting the Al Hilal player to gesture towards the sky.

The Saudi Federation and the Pro League issued a joint statement saying: "The Saudi Federation and the Saudi Pro League express their condemnation of the unacceptable practices that occurred during the Al Taawoun vs. Al Hilal match by some attending fans, which contradict the values of Saudi football and the principles of sportsmanship."

The statement added: "Exploiting personal tragedies for insult or provocation is unacceptable behavior and has no place in Saudi football."

It continued: "The Saudi Federation confirms that the relevant committees have noted these practices and have begun taking legal action regarding them in accordance with the approved regulations and guidelines, and an announcement will be made after their completion."

The incident sparked widespread reactions in the sports community, notably from Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota's former teammate in the Portugal national team.

Ronaldo wrote in a comment on a post via Instagram: "The league must take action and punish this type of fan behavior, as this no longer represents football, and limits must be set."

Ronaldo added: "People who behave this way should not be allowed to enter stadiums again."

Ronaldo was not the only one to criticize the chants, as Al Ahly player Saleh Abu Shamat wrote a lengthy message condemning the incident, describing what happened as "haram and wrong."

Al Hilal had secured a significant victory over Al Taawoun with a score of 6-0, before the latter decided to dismiss their coach following this defeat.