Al-Taawoun hit with stadium closure and fine over ‘Jota' chants

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian ‌Football Federation's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on Tuesday ordered Al-Taawoun to play their next two home Saudi Pro League matches behind closed doors. They were also fined 100,000 riyals ($26,660) after supporters chanted the name of the late Portugal forward Diogo Jota during Saturday's match against Al-‌Hilal. The ‌sanctions stem from an ‌incident ⁠involving Al-Hilal ⁠midfielder Ruben Neves, a close friend and former teammate of Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain last year alongside his brother Andre Silva. Neves was among ⁠the pallbearers at Jota's funeral. ‌Videos circulated on ‌social media appeared to show sections of ‌the crowd chanting 'Jota' during Al-Hilal's 6-0 win over Al-Taawoun. 🚨 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇: Ruben Neves' reaction as Al-Taawoun fans repeat the name of his late close friend: "Jota, Jota, Jota..." 🙏 pic.twitter.com/2iPdA36H3i — RazedFootball (@RazedFootball) September 12, 2026 Neves reacted by pointing to his eye and then toward the sky before saying ‌after the match: 'I hope they don't go to pray afterwards.' ⁠The ⁠chants sparked widespread criticism, including from Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who urged authorities to take strong action. Al-Hilal said they had filed a complaint with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, describing the chants as offensive and unacceptable, while Al-Taawoun condemned the behavior and said it did not represent the club or their supporters.