Friday, April 10, 2026 - Cristiano Ronaldo has been dragged into Saudi league cheating claims after England striker Ivan Toney launched a shocking attack on the officiating team following Al-Ahli's frustrating 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha on Wednesday evening.
Toney, who scored his 27th goal of the season in the draw,
claimed his side were denied several penalties against Al-Fayha.
The England international alleged that when he and his
Al-Ahli teammates had attempted to talk to the referee, they were told to
instead focus on the AFC Champions League.
‘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.
'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.'
When asked who would benefit from the decisions, Toney
laughed and replied: ‘We know who, who are we chasing?’ in a possible reference
to Ronaldo.
Toney later doubled down on social media by sharing videos
of three penalty appeals during the match and claimed 'it is clear what is
being influenced here'.
'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.
'Also, with the referee telling us to concentrate on a
different competition while VAR is going on is beyond me.
'Add to that with the referee agreeing that the first one
was a penalty in the 90+ minute like that’s going to help.
'I am probably the bad guy for speaking some truths and
pointing out questionable decisions or s*** refereeing.'
Toney's team-mate Galeno added to the controversy, alleging
the Saudi Pro League wants to 'hand the trophy to one person'.
'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,' he wrote on social
media.
Both players were backed by Al-Ahli, who urged the league to
release recordings between the officials and their players during the match and
demanded explanations over the refereeing decisions.
'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,' a club statement
read. '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.
'The team has faced unfair refereeing decisions, an
unacceptable situation that neither serves the development of the competition
nor upholds the principle of competitive fairness, which must be the foundation
of any successful tournament.
'Al-Ahli club company calls for access to the recordings and
communications between the referees and the video assistant referee (VAR), as
well as their interactions with the team's players during the match. It also
requests clear explanations for all refereeing incidents where decisions were
not correctly made.
'In closing, Al Ahli club company reaffirms its confidence
in the commitment of the relevant authorities to safeguarding the integrity of
the competition and taking the necessary practical steps that reflect the high
standing the Saudi Roshn League has reached.'
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are currently two points clear at the top
of the Saudi Pro League with seven matches remaining of their league campaign.
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