Al Taawoun face stadium closure, fine over ‘Jota’ chants by fans

What the report says

Saudi Pro League club Al Taawoun have been sanctioned by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation after fans were reported to have chanted the name of the late Portugal forward Diogo Jota during a match against Al Hilal. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the federation’s Discipline and Ethics Committee ordered Al Taawoun to play their next two home games behind closed doors and imposed a fine of 100,000 riyals ($26,640).

The incident took place during Al Hilal’s 6-0 win over Al Taawoun, and videos shared on social media appeared to show sections of the crowd shouting “Jota” toward Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. Neves was a close friend and former teammate of Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain last year with his brother Andre Silva. Al Jazeera reported that Neves reacted on the field after the chants, and later made a remark about the behavior.

The episode drew strong criticism online, including from Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who called for firm punishment and said the fans should be barred from stadiums. Al Hilal filed a complaint with the federation, saying the chants were offensive, while Al Taawoun said the conduct did not reflect the club or its supporters.

More broadly, the case highlights how football authorities in Saudi Arabia have been responding to fan conduct seen as abusive or disrespectful, especially when it involves players connected to a deceased teammate.