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’re speaking about now and he’s saying to give attention to the AFC.”
Accusations of bias
The state of affairs took a darker flip when Toney was requested who would profit from these questionable calls. The previous Brentford man laughed and replied: “We all know who, who’re we chasing?”
This was clearly a direct reference to Al-Nassr and doubtlessly to their talisman, Ronaldo. Toney additional alleged that the referees appeared to have their minds elsewhere through the “crunch time” of the title race.
“If you’d like me to go deeper, I can go deeper, it would get me into hassle however I’m a person that claims it how it’s. There are clear speaking factors with the referee, however his thoughts is elsewhere. All through the season, it was a transparent penalty however now we get to the crunch time they usually change it,” Toney added.
He later took to social media to share clips of the incidents, stating: “It is really loopy how one can miss issues like this in essential moments or selected to show a blind eye. It is clear what’s being influenced right here.”
Galeno calls out ‘lack of respect’
Toney was not the one Al-Ahli star to voice his frustration. Group-mate Galeno went even additional, seemingly alleging that the league is actively attempting to present silverware to Ronaldo.
In a scathing social media publish, Galeno instructed that the aggressive equity of the league had been fully compromised in favour of 1 particular person.
“Hand over the trophy, that is what they need, they need to knock us out of the championship by any means vital, they need to hand the trophy to 1 individual, a complete lack of respect for our membership,” Galeno wrote, per the Daily Mail.
The gamers’ public outbursts have highlighted a rising pressure within the Saudi Professional League because the marketing campaign reaches its last phases and the stress on Al-Nassr to safe their first title of the Ronaldo period intensifies.
Al-Ahli demand referee recordings
Backing their stars, Al-Ahli launched a proper assertion expressing “deep dissatisfaction” and demanding that the league launch the audio recordings of the VAR communications.
The membership’s hierarchy is searching for explanations for why their gamers had been allegedly informed to disregard the home recreation and give attention to continental competitors whereas essential choices had been being made on the pitch.
“Al Ahli membership firm expresses its deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected at this time’s match of the primary soccer workforce towards Al Fayha in spherical 29 of the Saudi Roshn League,” the membership acknowledged.
“The referee’s choices had a direct impression on the movement of the sport and its last consequence, which in flip affected the workforce’s place within the title race. Such errors increase authentic considerations concerning the referee choice course of and the factors utilized, notably given the excessive technical and aggressive degree of the Saudi Roshn League.”
