Sports16 September, 20262 min read
Saudi Football Federation Fines Al-Taawoun 100,000 Riyals, Bans Stadium Two Games Over Jota Chants
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Al-Taawoun penalized with 100,000 riyals fine and two home matches behind closed doors. Sanction issued after fans chanted Diogo Jota's name during match against Al Hilal.
9 outlets told this the same way.
Jota chants trigger sanctions
Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun was fined 100,000 riyals and given a two-game stadium ban after fans chanted about the late Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota during a league match against Al Hilal. RTE.ie said the Saudi Football Federation ordered Al-Taawoun to play their next two home Saudi Pro League matches behind closed doors and cited a statement that the fans chanted phrases and slogans that violated the provisions of the Disciplinary and Ethics regulations.
“The Federation ordered Al-Taawoun to play their next two home Saudi Pro League matches behind closed doors and fined the club 100,000 riyals.”
The BBC described the same taunting as supporters repeatedly shouting "Jota" at Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves before Al-Taawoun’s 6-0 defeat. The sanctions were tied to the SAFF disciplinary and ethics committee’s finding that Al-Taawoun’s supporters violated article (51-2) of their regulations, with the decision announced at the Buraydah Stadium.
Neves, Ronaldo react
After the match, Ruben Neves told reporters: "I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did." The New York Times reported that Cristiano Ronaldo called for the fans to be punished, saying that those involved “should never be allowed to enter a stadium again”.
Al Jazeera said the chants sparked widespread criticism, including from Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who urged authorities to take strong action and called for the fans to be banned from football stadiums for life. Al Hilal said the behavior “contravenes sporting values and ethics, transcending the boundaries of competition and fan support,” while Al-Taawoun condemned the behaviour and said it did not represent the club or its supporters.
What’s next for Al-Taawoun
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee ordered Al-Taawoun to play their next two home Saudi Pro League matches behind closed doors and fined the club 100,000 riyals after the chants referencing Jota. The National tied the sanctions to the incident involving Neves, describing him as a close friend and former teammate of Jota who died in a car crash in Spain last year alongside his brother Andre Silva.
Goal added that the six-goal scoreline and the chants led to the immediate dismissal of coach Zarko Lazetic and that club officials moved to appoint former player Jihad Al-Hussain to stabilize a fractured dressing room. Goal also said Al-Taawoun were plunged into 17th place with a meager three points from their first seven games, with empty stands ahead of upcoming visits from Al-Rayyan and Al-Qadsiah.