"Mocking until the death of late Diogo Jota" Ronaldo explodes in anger... "Fans like this should be banned from stadiums for life"

*This content was translated by AI.

'Superstar' Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) expressed strong anger toward some fans who mocked Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal) by exploiting the death of the late Diogo Jota. Ronaldo and Neves played together for the Portugal national team until Jota passed away last year.

Reuters reported on the 13th (Korea time) that "Ronaldo strongly criticized fans who chanted Jota's name and shouted mocking slogans directed at Neves during a Saudi Pro League match, stating they 'should be banned from entering football stadiums for life'."

The incident occurred during the 7th round of the 2026-2027 Saudi Pro League season match between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal held today.

Al-Hilaz crushed Al-Taawoun 6-0 in an away game. Oli Watkins, who played in the English Premier League (EPL), scored multiple goals, Gabriel Martinelli recorded a hat-trick, and Saudi player Sultan Mandash added a late goal.

However, more controversy arose from the excessive behavior of some fans in the stands than the match result itself.

According to reports, during the match, some Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly chanted "Jota" directed at Al-Hilal midfielder Neves. Videos filmed on-site spread quickly via social media.

Jota passed away in a traffic accident in Zamora, northwestern Spain, last July along with his brother Andre Silva.

For Neves, Jota was not just an old teammate. They played together for the Portugal national team for a long time and were personally very close. Neves was so close to Jota that he personally carried the coffin at Jota's funeral.

Because of this, fierce criticism poured out over some fans using the name of the deceased Jota as a means to provoke Neves.

Neves did not let it pass either. When the chant "Jota" was directed at him from the stands, he covered his eyes and then pointed to the sky with his finger in response.

He also did not hide his discomfort after the match. Neves said, "I hope they do not go to pray later." This was a sharp reaction toward fans who even used the name of his deceased best friend to provoke him.

The controversy did not end here. Ronaldo also stepped in directly.

Ronaldo, after viewing an Instagram post containing the scene, left a comment on his personal account, strongly criticizing the behavior of some fans.

Ronaldo said, "The league must take action to punish such fans' behavior," and raised his voice, stating, "This is no longer football. There must be clear lines."

He further emphasized, "People who engage in such behavior should not be allowed to enter stadiums again."

For Ronaldo, who played alongside Jota for the Portugal national team, this incident was also something he could not easily overlook.

The club and the Saudi football community also moved immediately.

First, Al-Hilal issued an official statement, announcing that it formally protested to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) regarding this incident.

Al-Hilal emphasized, "We absolutely reject any act targeting a player or their family for personal insult," and added, "We are confident that appropriate measures will be taken to protect the integrity of sports competition from insulting behavior."

The home team Al-Taawoun also strongly condemned the problematic cheering behavior.

Al-Taawoun drew a line, stating, "Such behavior is absolutely unacceptable and does not represent the values pursued by Al-Taawoun, our fans, and our cheering culture."

It further stated, "We will cooperate with relevant institutional investors to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring and hold those responsible accountable."

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League (SPL) also issued a joint statement criticizing the fans' behavior.

The two institutional investors emphasized, "The behavior shown by some fans during the match goes against the values of Saudi football and the principles of sportsmanship," and added, "Using personal tragedy for purposes of insult or provocation is an unacceptable act that has no place in Saudi football."

The Saudi Football Federation announced that a relevant committee has confirmed the problematic behavior and will take necessary measures according to regulations and procedures.

Reuters reported that "disciplinary results will be announced as soon as the relevant procedures are completed."

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*This content was translated by AI.