Official response: Saudi football cracks down on shameful chants about the late Jota

Saudi football has drawn a line in the sand after one of the ugliest episodes in the league's recent history.

Details: The Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League have officially condemned the chants referencing the death of Diogo Jota that were directed at Rúben Neves. The organizations denounced them as unacceptable practices contrary to the values and principles of the game, and the federation has opened an investigation into the incident.

• Also read: Will Al Hilal start with a win? Prediction for the match against Qatar's Al-Gharafa on September 15

The scandal erupted on Sunday during Al-Hilal's league match away at Al-Taawoun, where a section of home supporters chanted Jota's name in an attempt to provoke Neves. The midfielder, visibly shaken, answered by pointing towards the stands, a moment that quickly spread across social media and drew universal disgust. The context makes the chants especially cruel: Jota, who died alongside his brother André Silva in a car crash in Spain in July 2025, was one of Neves' closest friends, a teammate at Wolverhampton and with the Portugal national team, where Neves now wears the late forward's number 21 in his honor. The reaction snowballed when Cristiano Ronaldo demanded lifetime stadium bans for those responsible, insisting that such behavior is no longer football. Hours later, the Saudi FA announced a formal investigation, and both governing bodies issued their joint condemnation. Possible sanctions against Al-Taawoun and the individuals involved are now expected, in a case that has become a test of how seriously the rapidly growing league protects basic human decency.

It's worth noting that Neves and Jota shared a dressing room for six years, first at Wolves and then with Portugal, winning the UEFA Nations League together in June 2025, just weeks before the tragedy.

Reminder: "This is no longer football!" Ronaldo demands action after sick Jota provocation.