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
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.
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