Heavy sanctions await those involved: urgent official action after the events of the Al-Hilal and Al-Taawoun match
The chants aimed at Portugal's Ruben Neves from the Al-Taawoun stands did not go unnoticed. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League Association came out firmly against them, condemning what they described as the "unacceptable practices" witnessed during the Pro League clash between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal.
In a joint statement, the Federation and the Association stressed that exploiting personal tragedies to abuse or provoke is unacceptable and has no place in Saudi football. Such behaviour, they added, runs completely counter to the values of the Saudi game and the sporting spirit on which competition is based.
Relevant committees, the Federation confirmed, had monitored the practices from the moment they happened and have already started taking regulatory measures in line with the approved rules and regulations. The decisions will be announced as soon as they are finalised.
Al-Taawoun had already got ahead of the football federation. In an official statement, the club condemned and rejected the offensive chants outright, insisting that anything going beyond the bounds of sporting support amounted to "individual acts that cannot be attributed to Al-Taawoun's fans". The club said it remained proud of those supporters, praising their awareness and their history of backing the team with a sporting and responsible spirit, while stressing its rejection of any abuse, whatever its source or target.
The club acted after Al-Hilal filed an official complaint to the Saudi Federation over what it described as "offensive and unacceptable collective chants" from a section of Al-Taawoun's fans directed at Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves during the recent meeting between the two sides.
Saudi newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat" revealed that the Federation's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee officially opened an investigation on Sunday morning into the offensive chants and phrases aimed at the Al-Hilal player from the Al-Taawoun stands. Its official ruling and penalties are expected within the coming days.
