Al-Taawoun fans chant name of late Diogo Jota at Ruben Neves during 6:0 loss
A section of Al-Taawoun supporters chanted Diogo Jota's name at Ruben Neves during the 6:0 defeat; Neves replied on the pitch and later warned the crowd.
Controversy overshadowed Al-Taawoun's home game against Al-Hilal after a section of the host supporters repeatedly chanted the name of Diogo Jota — a late friend and former teammate of Ruben Neves — during the match in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal won emphatically, 6:0, but the behaviour in the stands attracted the most attention.
Ruben Neves, who provided the assist for the opening goal scored by Oli Watkins, was directly targeted by the chants. According to reports, the fans shouted the name of Jota, who tragically lost his life in a car accident in Spain last year. Neves responded on the pitch with a brief, ironic applause and then pointed to the sky in an apparent message that "God sees everything".
Reaction after the final whistle
After the match — which saw Watkins score twice and Gabriel Martinelli complete a hat-trick, with the final goal credited to Sultan Mandash — Neves addressed the episode in mixed zones with journalists. He condemned the provocation and warned of consequences.
"I only hope they won't be praying later for what they did!" Neves said.
The incident was widely criticised across football circles, and Al-Taawoun subsequently removed Zarko Lazetic from his coaching position. The result on the field left little doubt: Al-Hilal dominated the game and converted their superiority into a comprehensive victory.
Photo: press material from the event
