Saudi club given stadium ban over Jota chants

Saudi Pro League side Al‑Taawoun has been sanctioned to host its next two league fixtures without spectators and fined 100,000 Saudi riyals (about £20,000) after its supporters repeatedly chanted the name of the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota at Al‑Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. Jota died in a car crash at the age of 28 in July last year. He was a close friend of Neves, having played alongside him at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for the Portugal national team. Neves now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s memory, bears a tattoo of the two embracing on his calf, and served as a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral. Before Al‑Taawoun’s 6‑0 victory on Saturday, supporters directed the chant “Jota” repeatedly at Neves. After the match, Neves told reporters: “I conscionable anticipation they don't spell to commune aboriginal aft what they did.” Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al‑Nassr in Saudi Arabia and was an international teammate of Jota, called for beingness bans to be issued to the chanting fans. In a statement, Al‑Taawoun said: “Such behaviour is wholly unacceptable and does not correspond the club, its fans, oregon the values ​​for which the nine is known.” “Sports contention cannot beryllium a justification for insulting, belittling, oregon bullying others astatine the disbursal of anyone's feelings.”