ไทย
English
中國人
Upon viewing disturbing video footage of fans apparently chanting the name of the late Diogo Jota in an attempt to taunt his close friend and former teammate Rúben Neves, Cristiano Ronaldo called for permanent stadium bans for everyone involved.
Jota lost his life at just 28 years old alongside his younger brother André Silva in a car crash in July 2025. While the broader sporting community has largely responded with respectful tributes to the beloved former Liverpool star, events in the Saudi Pro League over the weekend took a deeply troubling turn.
The disturbing scenes unfolded during Al Hilal's commanding 6–0 victory over Al Taawoun on Saturday. As Neves prepared to take a free kick for the visiting side, persistent chants of "Jota, Jota, Jota" from the home supporters prompted the Portuguese midfielder to respond with a sarcastic round of applause. Al Hilal's midfielder then turned toward the Al Taawoun fans and pointed skyward.
Following the win, Neves briefly addressed reporters, saying: "I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did."
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers skipper shared a profound bond with Jota. Neves took on his No. 21 shirt at international level, has a tattoo of himself embracing his compatriot on his left calf, and vowed to stand by Jota's widow Rute Cardoso and their three children. "More than friends, we're family," Neves wrote in a heartfelt letter to his late teammate. "And that won't change just because you've signed a contract a little farther from home."
Sadly, this is not the first controversy Neves has faced since losing his friend. A Portuguese magazine sparked entirely baseless rumors about the nature of the relationship between the midfielder and Cardoso, drawing a fierce response from an outraged Neves: "I always believe in the good in people, I've been warned not to do so, I've been wrong."
Ronaldo Issues Scathing Response
Al Nassr captain Ronaldo was not part of Saturday's match but encountered the footage while browsing social media. In the comments section of a post shared by a Portuguese outlet featuring the video, Jota's former international skipper demanded serious consequences.
"The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior," Ronaldo wrote. "This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again."
As the league's most recognizable figure and its highest-earning player, Ronaldo wields enormous influence over the Saudi Pro League. Even if his had been the sole voice of opposition, the competition would almost certainly have been compelled to respond — but his outrage has since been echoed by others.
Prominent Saudi commentator Waleed Al-Farraj stated: "Calling Ronaldo 'Messi' is part of the rivalry between them, but chanting the name of Al Hilal player Neves as 'Jota'—the name of his deceased teammate—is inappropriate. How can you exploit people's grief like this? You need to show some humanity." Saudi Arabia international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat also described the footage as "unacceptable."