Ronaldo demands lifetime ban over chants against late Jota
Cristiano Ronaldo is calling for the permanent expulsion of fans who taunted Ruben Neves with chants referencing his late teammate Diogo Jota. The incident occurred during a match in the Saudi league. Neves responded sarcastically, and the Saudi Football Federation has opened an investigation.
Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of the Portugal national team and star of Al Nassr, is calling for lifetime stadium bans on fans who taunted his national teammate, Ruben Neves. The incident occurred during Al Hilal's 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun in the Saudi league, when a group of fans repeatedly chanted the name of the late former player Diogo Jota at the midfielder. Jota, a former Liverpool player, died last July in a fatal car accident in Spain at the age of 28. Neves, a close friend and former teammate of Jota at Wolves and the national team, was seen sarcastically clapping at the crowd and pointing to the sky. After the match, he said: "I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did." Ronaldo condemned the chants on social media, writing: "The league must act and punish such fan behavior. This is no longer football, and there must be boundaries. People who behave like this should never be allowed into a stadium again." The Saudi Football Federation confirmed that the relevant committees have begun an official investigation to identify and punish the fans involved.