Cristiano Ronaldo calls for lifetime stadium bans after fans taunt Rúben Neves with chants about deceased player

Cristiano Ronaldo said that fans who appeared to make chants referencing his former teammate Diogo Jota at Rúben Neves during a Saudi Pro League match should be banned for life from football stadiums.

The chants occurred on Saturday during a fixture between Al-Taawoun and Neves’s side, Al-Hilal, in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.

Jota died last year in a car crash in Zamora, north-western Spain, along with his brother André Silva. A close friend of Jota, Neves was a pallbearer at his funeral.

Footage filmed from the stands during the match and circulated on social media appeared to show supporters chanting “Jota”. The shouts attracted the attention of Neves, who pointed to his eye and then up to the sky in response. Passing through the mixed zone after the game, Neves said: “I hope they don’t go to pray afterwards.”

In response to an Instagram post showing the footage, Ronaldo commented from his personal account. “The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” he wrote. “This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.“

The game finished 6-0 to Al-Hilal, with Neves playing 75 minutes before being substituted.

Reuters has contacted Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal for comment.