Ivan Toney has openly criticized the refereeing standards in the Saudi Pro League, following a controversial match involving his team, Al-Ahli. The criticism comes amid claims from one of his teammates that there appears to be a bias favoring Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, Al-Nassr.

Toney, along with other Al-Ahli players, expressed frustration over the officiating after their recent 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha. The result has left Al-Ahli in third place, trailing Al-Nassr by two points. Notably, Al-Nassr still has a game in hand, adding to the competitive tension.

The England international accused the match officials of dismissing their concerns, allegedly advising them to concentrate on the AFC Champions League instead. This reaction did not sit well with Toney and his teammates, who were eager for clarity on the field.

In a post-match interview, Toney stated, “The two penalties were obvious. It’s as clear as day. If a player handles the ball with both hands, should it not be a penalty?” He expressed disbelief at the referee’s response, emphasizing that their focus was on the current match, not future competitions.

‘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?

Ivan Toney questioned the integrity of officiating in the Saudi Pro League after his Al-Ahli side saw penalty appeals waved away by the referee in a 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha

Toney appeared to suggest that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, the current league leaders, will benefit as a result of the controversial refereeing decisions

The England international shared clip of three penalty appeals on social media after the match

‘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. 

Toney claimed it was ‘clear what’s being influenced here’, after the Al-Ahli forward had also alleged the referee had told him to focus on the AFC Champions League

‘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.

Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side are two points clear at the top of the table and have a game in hand

‘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.

Should Al-Nassr go on to be crowned champions, it would be the first league title Ronaldo has won in four seasons at the club.