Ronaldo seeks stadium bans over ‘Jota’ chants

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal and Al Nassr forward, has called for lifetime bans from stadiums for fans who chanted the name of late teammate Diogo Jota during a match between Al-Hilal and Al-Taawoun. The chanting targeted Neves, who was playing alongside Jota at the time. Jota passed away in a car accident in Spain in July 2022 at the age of 28, leaving a deep impact on Neves, who had played with him at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal.

Ronaldo, who competes against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, condemned the fans' behavior in a social media post, demanding the league take action against such supporters. Neves, wearing the No. 21 jersey to honor Jota, was visibly displeased with the chants, sarcastically applauding some supporters before pointing towards the sky.

Jota's death, which occurred alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, affected both Neves and Ronaldo personally, as they had played alongside Jota during their time at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal. The Saudi football authorities now face pressure to take action against the fans responsible for the chants.