In the 29th round of the Saudi Pro League on 8/4, Ivan Toney, a striker who previously played for Brentford in the Premier League, scored the opening goal. However, Al Ahli was held to a 1-1 draw by Al Fayha. This result keeps Al Ahli in 3rd place with 66 points, 4 points behind league leaders Al Nassr, despite having played one more game.

Following the match, Toney expressed frustration, claiming Al Ahli was denied clear penalties. "The biggest flashpoints were two penalty situations, clear as day", the English forward stated. "I don't understand what more they want. If a player uses two hands to hold the ball, is that not a penalty?".

Ivan Toney openly criticized refereeing after Al Ahli's 1-1 draw with Al Fayha in the 29th round of the Saudi Pro League on 8/4/2026. Photo: Daily Mail

Toney also revealed a controversial reaction from the referee: "When we tried to talk to the referee, he told us to 'focus on the AFC Champions League'. How can a referee say that? We were talking about the current situation". The 30-year-old player hinted at underlying issues behind the decisions but refrained from elaborating due to potential sanctions. "If you want me to go deeper, I can, but it might cause trouble", he said. "I'm a straightforward person. There were clear situations, but the referee's mind was elsewhere. Throughout the season, those were clear penalties, but at the decisive stage, they changed their stance".

When asked which team benefited, Toney smiled and replied: "Who benefits? We all know which club Al Ahli is chasing". According to the British newspaper Sportmail, Toney's statements targeted Ronaldo and Al Nassr.

On social media, Toney continued to post videos of the controversial incidents, suggesting external influence and criticizing the referees' belated acknowledgment of errors. "It's crazy to miss such situations at a crucial time, or intentionally ignore them", he wrote. "The referee even told us to focus on another competition while VAR was checking, I just can't understand it. Perhaps I'll become the bad guy for speaking the truth and pointing out suspicious decisions or terrible refereeing".

Ivan Toney continued to post messages criticizing the referee and detailing three penalty claims on social media. Photo: Sportbible

Not only Toney, but teammate Galeno also fueled the controversy by accusing the organizers of wanting to "hand the Cup to one person". He wrote: "They want to eliminate us at all costs. This is a complete disrespect to the club".

Al Ahli subsequently issued an official statement, expressing dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions and asserting that these errors directly impacted the match result and the team's position in the title race. The club demanded that the organizers provide audio recordings of exchanges between the referee and VAR, along with clear explanations for the controversial situations. Al Ahli also questioned the referee selection process, especially given the league's competitive nature.

Ronaldo himself has previously voiced dissatisfaction with the operation of the Saudi football system, particularly the role of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). He questioned why Al Hilal could mobilize significant resources to sign Karim Benzema, while Al Nassr faced numerous limitations. Consequently, the 41-year-old superstar felt there was unbalanced competition among the state-backed clubs in Saudi Arabia.

*Hong Duy (via Daily Mail)*