PARIS, FRANCE - Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Liverpool's Diogo Jota during the pre-match warm-up before the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
PARIS, FRANCE - Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Liverpool's Diogo Jota during the pre-match warm-up before the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
After Ruben Neves was abused by fans chanting the name of his late friend, Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans.
Chants of Jota’s name have sadly been used to taunt Neves, a casket bearer at his funeral, while playing for Al-Hilal.
The Portuguese midfielder was subject to chants of the late Liverpool forward’s name from a portion of Al-Taawoun fans during a Saudi Pro League match.
Neves could be seen pointing to the sky, then to the individuals involved, gesturing that God will judge them.
? ?????: Ruben Neves' reaction as Al-Taawoun fans repeat the name of his late close friend: "Jota, Jota, Jota…" ? pic.twitter.com/2iPdA36H3i
— RazedFootball (@RazedFootball) September 12, 2026
After the match, Neves told reporters: “I hope they don’t go to pray, because God doesn’t deserve that.”
Neves’ Al-Hilal teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, who also played with Jota for Portugal, called for the guilty to be permanently banned.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo wrote online.
“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.”
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— ? ???? (@ws_ws97) September 12, 2026
Neves was targeted because he was among Jota’s closest friends, having played with him for Wolves and Portugal.
Neves even carried the coffin at Jota’s funeral and has a tattoo of them together on his left calf.
After his death, Neves wrote: “Wherever you are I know you will read this
“We were never this lame and I may now regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I am to you.
“More than a friendship, we’re family, and we won’t stop it just because now you decided to sign a contract a little further away from us!
Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves, part of the Wolves side which won the Championship in 2018 (Martin Rickett/PA)
Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves, part of the Wolves side which won the Championship in 2018 (Martin Rickett/PA)
“When I go to the national team, you’ll still be next to me at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane… you’ll always be there with me as always.
“Let’s keep laughing, making plans, sharing our life with each other.
“I’m going to make sure you’re always present and I’ll make sure that your loved ones never lack anything while you’re there, far away but thinking of us, waiting for us.
“Life has brought us together and now it can’t tear us apart. We’ve achieved some great things together, we still have a lot to go, I know we can.
“From today on, you will enter the field with me and we will follow our path together, on the stage where we met.”
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