A provocation in very bad taste. The meeting between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal, counting for the 7th day of the Saudi championship, was marred by the attitude of certain local supporters. The latter chanted the name of Diogo Jota, who died on July 3, 2025 in a car accident, with the aim of provoking his great friend and compatriot Ruben Neves. On the field, Al-Hilal made short work of his opponent by winning largely (0-6).
Visibly touched by these provocations, Ruben Neves initially responded by giving a thumbs up before applauding. The Portuguese midfielder then pointed his finger towards the sky, before making the supporters understand that they were being observed. A sober reaction, but which showed the emotion of the Al-Hilal player, particularly close to the former Liverpool striker.
Cristiano Ronaldo gets involved
Neves’ anger had not subsided when the final whistle blew. As he passed in front of the journalists, the Portuguese, who has 69 caps with his team, did not hide his disgust. “ I just hope they don’t go and pray after what they did.”he said, after having experienced a particularly difficult evening despite his team’s overwhelming victory.
The affair also caused Cristiano Ronaldo to react. The Portugal captain and Al-Nassr striker condemned the behavior of these supporters and called on the Saudi League to crack down. “The league must act and punish this kind of fan behavior. It’s not football anymore, and there must be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed into a stadium again.”launched the five-time Ballon d’Or.
