Ivan Toney has launched a sensational attack on the integrity of the Saudi Pro League, suggesting that officials are biased toward Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.
The England international was left fuming after his Al-Ahli side were held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Fayha, a result that severely dents their title aspirations.
Toney questions refereeing integrity
The controversy erupted following Al-Ahli’s 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha on Wednesday, a match in which Toney scored his 27th goal of a prolific campaign.
However, the striker was more interested in discussing “clear as day” penalties that he believes were ignored by the officiating crew.
The result leaves Al-Ahli third, trailing Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr by four points, with the league leaders also holding a game in hand.
“I think the very big talking point was the two penalties, it is as clear as day,” Toney said in a post-match interview. “I don’t know what more you want him to do, if you pick the ball up with two hands are you going to give a penalty or not? When we tried to talk to the referee, he told us to ‘focus on the AFC [Champions League]’. How can the referee say this? We are talking about now and he is saying to focus on the AFC.”
Accusations of bias
The situation took a darker turn when Toney was asked who would benefit from these questionable calls. The former Brentford man laughed and replied: “We know who, who are we chasing?”
This was clearly a direct reference to Al-Nassr and potentially to their talisman, Ronaldo. Toney further alleged that the referees seemed to have their minds elsewhere during the “crunch time” of the title race.
“If you want me to go deeper, I can go deeper, it might get me into trouble but I am a man that says it how it is. There are clear talking points with the referee, but his mind is elsewhere. Throughout the season, it was a clear penalty but now we get to the crunch time and they change it,” Toney added.
He later took to social media to share clips of the incidents, stating: “It’s actually crazy how you can miss things like this in crucial moments or chose to turn a blind eye. It’s clear what is being influenced here.”
Galeno calls out ‘lack of respect’
Toney was not the only Al-Ahli star to voice his frustration. Team-mate Galeno went even further, seemingly alleging that the league is actively trying to gift silverware to Ronaldo.
In a scathing social media post, Galeno suggested that the competitive fairness of the league had been completely compromised in favour of one individual.
“Hand over the trophy, that’s what they want, they want to knock us out of the championship by any means necessary, they want to hand the trophy to one person, a total lack of respect for our club,” Galeno wrote, per the Daily Mail.
The players’ public outbursts have highlighted a growing tension in the Saudi Pro League as the campaign reaches its final stages and the pressure on Al-Nassr to secure their first title of the Ronaldo era intensifies.
Al-Ahli demand referee recordings
Backing their stars, Al-Ahli released a formal statement expressing “deep dissatisfaction” and demanding that the league release the audio recordings of the VAR communications.
The club’s hierarchy is seeking explanations for why their players were allegedly told to ignore the domestic game and focus on continental competition while crucial decisions were being made on the pitch.
“Al Ahli club company expresses its deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected today’s match of the first football team against Al Fayha in round 29 of the Saudi Roshn League,” the club stated.
“The referee’s decisions had a direct impact on the flow of the game and its final outcome, which in turn affected the team’s position in the title race. Such errors raise legitimate concerns regarding the referee selection process and the criteria applied, particularly given the high technical and competitive level of the Saudi Roshn League.”
