Rúben Neves faces scrutiny as Diogo Jota calls for humanity
The Guardian Sport • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 22, 2026, 9:05 AM
Last updated Sep 22, 2026

During a recent match in the Saudi Pro League, Diogo Jota's chants directed at Rúben Neves sparked discussions about the treatment of players post-match. The league's response to negative incidents, particularly amid increased global attention, has drawn criticism. This scrutiny follows Al-Taawoun's heavy defeat to Al-Hilal, which has heightened the focus on player conduct and fan behavior. Observers note that the Saudi Pro League's push for global recognition comes with a need to address its challenges transparently.
- •Diogo Jota directed chants at Rúben Neves amid match events.
- •Al-Taawoun suffered a 6-0 loss to Al-Hilal, impacting fan sentiment.
- •League's handling of player conduct under scrutiny as scrutiny escalates.
- •Cristiano Ronaldo's involvement brings heightened global attention.
- •Criticism of league's leniency in punishment for negative fan behavior.
- 9:05 AMThe Guardian Sport — ‘Have some humanity’: Diogo Jota chants at Rúben Neves a wake-up call for Saudi Arabia
"With added coverage comes added scrutiny and there is a feeling that the league was too lenient when punishing chants about the late Portugal forward The good thing about Cristiano Ronaldo playing in your league is that he is one of the most famous footballers ever and when he scores a great goal or reaches 1,000 (just 21 to go), many people watch. The bad thing about Cristiano Ronaldo playing in your league is that when something negative happens and he is involved, just as many people will watch and listen. Global attention is something that the big European leagues have had for years but it is something the Saudi Pro League, which has spent billions in search of achieving a similar stature, needs to get used to. On Sunday 13 September, Ronaldo wrote to his 680 million Instagram followers to discuss the events of Saturday evening. That was when Al-Taawoun supporters were coming to terms with a 6-0 home thrashing by Al-Hilal, whose £150m-plus forward line, Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli, got five between them. Fair to say that some handled it better than others as what followed was in the worst possible taste. Continue reading...
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