Cristiano Ronaldo Demands Action After Fans Taunt Ruben Neves With Diogo Jota Chants
Cristiano Ronaldo demands bans after Diogo Jota chants target Ruben Neves in Saudi Pro League, as grief over his friend’s tragic death resurfaces once more.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after Saudi Pro League supporters targeted his Portugal teammate Ruben Neves with chants mocking the death of Diogo Jota, demanding those responsible face permanent bans from football stadiums.
The deeply uncomfortable scenes unfolded on Saturday during Al-Hilal's clash with Al-Taawoun, when a section of the home support repeatedly chanted Jota's name at Neves in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to provoke him.
Neves responded calmly but pointedly, gesturing first to the sky, then to his eyes and finally toward the fans, appearing to signal that God was watching their behaviour. He repeated the gesture several times before refocusing on the match.
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Portugal's captain wasted no time in speaking out. Writing on Instagram on Sunday, Ronaldo declared:
Neves himself addressed the incident briefly as he moved through the post-match mixed zone after Al-Hilal's dominant 6-0 victory.
The chants carry particular cruelty given the depth of the friendship between Neves and Jota. The Liverpool forward lost his life in July 2025 , aged 28, in a car crash in northern Spain. His younger brother, Andre Silva, who was 25, also died in the same accident.
Neves and Jota shared years at Wolverhampton Wanderers before both represented Portugal on the international stage. When Jota was laid to rest, Neves was among those who carried his coffin as a pallbearer.
The grief has stayed with the Al-Hilal midfielder in deeply personal ways. He revealed last year that he had a tattoo etched onto his leg depicting him embracing Jota, a lasting tribute to their bond. The Portugal national team also honoured Jota's memory by assigning Neves his late friend's number 21 shirt.
Martin Moses (Sports editor)
Martin Moses is a sports journalist at TUKO.co.ke (joined 2024) with over eight years experience. He graduated at the Multimedia University of Kenya in 2021. He launched his career in media at MMU radio (2018- 2021). Martin also interviewed distinguished sports personalities while at Sports 360 (2020-2022). He joined Sports Brief in April 2022 before transitioning to TUKO.co.ke where he is now the Sports Editor. You can reach out: martin.moses@tuko.co.ke