Saudi football authorities investigate alleged abusive chants aimed at Ruben Neves

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League have launched formal action after chants directed at Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves during his side’s match against Al Taawoun.

In a joint statement, the two organisations condemned what they described as “unacceptable practices” during the Saudi Pro League fixture, saying the exploitation of personal tragedies to insult or provoke an individual had no place in Saudi football.

They added that such behaviour was entirely inconsistent with the values of the Saudi game and the sporting spirit on which the competition is based.

The federation said its relevant committees had monitored the incidents as they happened and had already begun taking regulatory action under the applicable rules and regulations. Any decisions will be announced once the procedures have been completed.

Al Taawoun had issued its own statement before the federation and league’s announcement, strongly rejecting the offensive chants. The club said any chants or actions that went beyond the limits of sporting support were “individual actions that must not be attributed to Al Taawoun fans”.

Al Taawoun said it took pride in the awareness of its supporters and their history of backing the club in a responsible and sporting manner. It also stressed that it rejected any insult, regardless of who had made it or who had been targeted.

The response followed a formal complaint submitted by Al Hilal Club Company to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. The complaint concerned what the club called “collective, offensive and unacceptable chants” aimed at Portuguese midfielder Neves by a section of the Al Taawoun support during the teams’ latest meeting.

The match was played in the seventh round of the Saudi Pro League.

The Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the Saudi Football Federation’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee began an official investigation on Sunday into the chants and abusive expressions directed at the Al Hilal player from the Al Taawoun stands.

The committee is expected to reach its formal decision and announce any sanctions in the coming days.