Cristiano Ronaldo strongly condemns the fans' malicious provocation of his deceased teammate.

In a recent Saudi professional league match, Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Bahadi 6-0 away from home. However, the appalling remarks and behavior of some extremist fans in the stands towards Al-Hilal star player Ruben Neves caused a major uproar in the football world after the game.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7) subsequently voiced his support on social media, strongly demanding a severe punishment of a lifetime ban from stadiums for those involved.

Video footage leaked from the scene shows some home fans in the stands continuously chanting the name of the late Portuguese star Jota during the match, seemingly as a provocation to Neves. Jota tragically passed away in a car accident in Spain last year. Neves not only played alongside him for many years in the national team and at club level, but was also a close friend with whom he shared everything, and even served as a pallbearer at Jota's funeral.

In response to the harsh slogans, Neves, who started and played for 75 minutes, pointed to his eyes and then to the sky. After the match, as he walked through the mixed zone, a frustrated Neves bluntly said, "I hope these people won't go praying after the match."

The incident quickly went viral online and drew widespread condemnation. Cristiano Ronaldo subsequently issued a public statement through his official account, urging the league to take serious action: "The league must take decisive action and severely punish this kind of fan behavior."

"This has completely deviated from football itself. There must be a bottom line in everything. People who engage in such unscrupulous behavior should never be allowed to step onto the field again."

Reuters has contacted the two clubs involved in the matter, but the Saudi professional league has not yet officially released the results of the subsequent disciplinary investigation.

Image source: Internet