Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans for fans who chanted the name of the late Diogo Jota at his Portugal team-mate Ruben Neves.
Jota, the Liverpool forward, died in a car crash in the Spanish province of Zamora alongside his brother Andre Silva at the age of 28 in July last year. He was a close friend of Neves, with the pair having played together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal.
Supporters appeared to target Al-Hilal midfielder Neves before his team's 6-0 Saudi Pro League victory over Al-Taawoun on Saturday, repeatedly shouting Jota's name at him.
Cristiano Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans
Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi league, said the league must respond to the behaviour and impose punishment on those responsible. He argued that there should be limits when supporters cross the line in this way.
The Portugal forward said people who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again. Ronaldo had played alongside both Jota and Neves for the national team.
Neves has continued to honour Jota's memory while playing for Portugal. He now wears the number 21 shirt for the national team and has a tattoo on his calf showing him and Jota embracing.
Ruben Neves targeted by Jota chants
Footage from the incident showed Neves sarcastically applauding a section of supporters who were off-camera before pointing towards the sky and then looking back at them. His reaction came after the repeated chants directed at him.
Speaking after the match, Neves criticised the supporters' actions and said he hoped they would reflect on what they had done. The Al-Hilal midfielder had just helped his side beat Al-Taawoun 6-0 in the Saudi Pro League.
Jota had scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool after joining the club from Wolves in 2020. He made his Portugal debut in 2019 and finished his international career with 14 goals in 49 appearances.
Saudi football condemns fan behaviour
Al-Hilal said it strongly rejected actions targeting players or their families, as well as behaviour intended to cause personal offence. Al-Taawoun also condemned the incident, saying such conduct was unacceptable and did not represent the club, its supporters, or the values associated with its terraces.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League joined the clubs in condemning the supporters' behaviour on Sunday. Their joint statement said the conduct was inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and the principles of sportsmanship.
The statement also said that using personal tragedies to abuse or provoke others was unacceptable and had no place in Saudi football. The SAFF added that its relevant committees had identified the behaviour in question and were investigating the incident.