Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home league matches behind closed doors after supporters taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants about the death of his close friend and former teammate Diogo Jota.

As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, Al-Taawoun have also been fined 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) over the incident.

Supporters repeatedly shouted “Jota” at Neves before Al-Hilal’s 6–0 victory on Saturday.

The chants referred to Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash at the age of 28 last July.

Jota and Neves were close friends after playing together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal.

Neves now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s memory and has a tattoo on his calf showing the pair embracing.

He was also a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.

After the match, Neves condemned the supporters’ behaviour.

“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did,” he told reporters.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr and was an international teammate of Jota, had also reacted strongly to the incident.

The five-time ballon D’or winner called for lifetime bans to be issued to the chanting fans

The Saudi Pro League’s decision means Al-Taawoun will serve two home-match stadium closures in addition to the financial penalty.

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.”

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Todd Boehly has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after selling his stake in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, which has now taken full control.

Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their shares in a deal that hands Clearlake complete ownership. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss previously each held a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake owned 61.5%. The club confirmed Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.

Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, paid approaching £1 billion for the stakes, which represent about a quarter of the club. Club sources put Chelsea’s overall value at around £5 billion.

Boehly has held the chairman role since 2022, when the consortium bought Chelsea for £2.3 billion from Roman Abramovich following UK government sanctions. He will leave the position as part of the transaction.

In a statement on Thursday, Boehly said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman. I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans. I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, adding that he “will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family.” They said their focus remains on investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for supporters.

A club statement confirmed there will be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy” following the deal. Boehly and Walter have also sold their shareholding in Chelsea’s partner club, French side Strasbourg.

Talks within the ownership group began after a rift that first became apparent in 2024, with both sides previously exploring options to buy each other out. BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were considering selling their stakes.

Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea’s highest Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25, a season in which they also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. The club finished 10th last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager in the summer. The ownership period has been marked by high player turnover and a strategy focused on signing young players to long-term contracts. Plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium had at times created tension between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.

Walter, co-owner and chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion. US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are separately investigating companies in his business empire.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

France winger Allan Saint-Maximin has revealed that he left Club América after his children were subjected to racist abuse while attending school in Mexico.

The French winger said he felt it was important to speak out against discrimination rather than remain silent, particularly when his family was affected.

“Whatever your colour is, you don’t have to accept this,” Saint-Maximin told BBC Sport on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who is now with Charlotte FC, previously made his feelings clear in an Instagram post in January, stating that “hatred and discrimination have no place in our society.”

The post received more than 159,000 likes, including support from former Newcastle United teammates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.

Saint-Maximin did not provide specific details about what happened to his children but said “some stuff happened with my kids in the school” during his time at Club América.

“I explained to the kids what happened was not normal and they knew already,” he said. “They were not really happy about that.”

The incident was particularly difficult for Saint-Maximin because it involved his family, although he acknowledged that racism and discrimination can happen anywhere.

“I was a bit sad about my son, but in every place there is these type of things, even in France, the country where I am from,” he said. “As I said to them, it’s something they don’t have to accept.”

Club América publicly expressed its support for Saint-Maximin and his family, while his teammates showed their solidarity by holding a “No to racism” banner before a match against Necaxa.

Saint-Maximin stressed that his decision was not a criticism of the Mexican club.

“It was not the fault of Club América,” he said. “I have nothing against them, the players or the Mexican people. I love the club. It was one of the best places I’ve been with my family.”

However, the father of four said there was little choice when his children’s wellbeing was involved.

“When this affects your kids there are not many choices to take. It was a difficult choice for me and my family, but I take my responsibility because I always say I will never accept stuff like this,” he said.

For Saint-Maximin, standing up against racism was more important than protecting his career opportunities.

“It was important to show to people, especially in my situation, that I can lose a lot of things, but I will never accept this,” he said.

After leaving Mexico, Saint-Maximin joined Lens on a short-term deal and helped the club win the French Cup for the first time in its 120-year history and finish second in Ligue 1.

Despite receiving several offers in the summer, he eventually chose Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC, describing the move as a decision made with his family in mind.

“My family have always followed me to every single place. So this time was more of a family choice,” he said.

At Charlotte, Saint-Maximin has reunited with former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith and hopes to build a lasting legacy while helping those around him improve.

He also wants to entertain supporters and remain true to his creative style.

“To see some robot play doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM