Saudi Pro League club punished after vile Diogo Jota chants aimed at Ruben Neves

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Saudi Pro League side Al-Taawoun have been punished after sickening Diogo Jota chants were aimed at the late Liverpool star's friend and compatriot Ruben Neves

In a statement, Al-Taawoun said: "Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known. Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone's feelings."

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Pro League (SPL) had also condemned the supporters' behaviour before issuing the punishment. A joint statement said the incident and conduct of some fans during the match were "inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and the principles of sportsmanship".

The statement added that exploiting personal tragedies "for the purpose of abuse or provocation is unacceptable behaviour that has no place in Saudi football".

Neves has previously spoken about how he still speaks to Jota following his passing. "I still talk to him," he said.

"Few people know this. We have a WhatsApp group with Rute (Jota's widow) and Diogo, and it's still there, and we continue to talk there.

“Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages."

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