Saudi football body vows action over Jota chants

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Updated / Monday, 14 Sep 2026 14:01 Getty Cristiano Ronaldo: 'The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour' Saudi Arabian football authorities have promised to take action and Cristiano Ronaldo has called for life bans after rival fans taunted Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves about the death of Diogo Jota, his friend and former Portugal team-mate. Chants about Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash last year, rang out during Al-Hilal's 6-0 away win over Al-Taawoun on Saturday.

"The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," Saudi-based Portugal captain Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Sunday. Neves was one of Jota's closest friends and was a pallbearer at his funeral.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League condemned "unacceptable conduct by some supporters" in a joint statement late on Sunday. "Exploiting personal tragedies for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football," the statement said.