Cristiano Ronaldo Demands Lifetime Stadium Bans After Fans Mock Late Diogo Jota in Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the Saudi Pro League to implement lifetime bans for supporters following an incident where a group of Al Taawoun fans allegedly chanted the name of the late Diogo Jota.

The controversy followed a match on Saturday where Al Hilal secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun in the SPL. Portuguese star Ruben Neves played a pivotal role in the match, while Gabriel Martinelli scored a hat-trick to push Al Hilal back to the summit of the SPL table with 18 points.

Following the fixture, footage surfaced showing Ruben Neves interacting with Al Taawoun supporters who chanted “Jota, Jota,” an apparent reference to the Portugal player who tragically died in a car accident last year.

Reacting to the video on social media, veteran Portugal player Cristiano Ronaldo condemned the supporters and demanded immediate repercussions. “The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo posted on Instagram. “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.”

Ruben Neves was notably one of the closest friends of Diogo Jota and served as a pallbearer during his funeral. Both Ruben Neves and Cristiano Ronaldo honored their late teammate by wearing his number 21 jersey during the Fifa World Cup.

In July of the previous year, Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car crash in Spain. The fatal accident occurred when the Lamborghini carrying the brothers veered off the road near Zamora in north-western Spain and caught fire.

In the wake of the tragedy, Ruben Neves shared an emotional tribute online, writing, “More than a friendship, we're family, and we won't stop it just because now you decided to sign a contract a little further away from us.” He added, “When I go to Selecao, you'll still be next to me at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane … you'll always be there with me as always. Let's keep laughing, making plans, sharing our life with each other.”

Looking ahead, Cristiano Ronaldo and his squad are preparing to face UAE club Al Ain in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.