Ivan Toney has sparked major controversy after appearing to accuse Cristiano Ronaldo of benefiting from refereeing decisions in the Saudi title race.
The Al-Ahli striker was furious following his side’s 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha on Wednesday. The result could prove costly in the title battle.
Toney, who scored his 27th goal of the season, believed his team were denied three clear penalties. His frustration was clear at full-time.
However, his comments quickly went beyond the match itself. He said:
“When we tried to talk to the referee, he told us to focus on the AFC. How can the referee say this?”
Toney then hinted that decisions were changing at a crucial point in the season. He added:
“Throughout the season, it was a clear penalty but now we get to crunch time and they change it.”
When asked who benefits, he made his stance clear. Toney said:
“We know who. Who are we chasing?”
That comment has been widely interpreted as a reference to Cristiano Ronaldo, whose Al-Nassr side are leading the title race.
Meanwhile, Toney continued his rant on his Instagram story. He wrote (via The Sun):
“It’s actually crazy how you can miss things like this in crucial moments or choose to turn a blind eye. It’s clear what is being influenced here.”
At the same time, team-mate Galeno went even further. He said:
“They want to hand the trophy to one person… a total lack of respect for our club.”
Al-Ahli have also reacted strongly. The club labelled the decisions “unacceptable” and demanded explanations, including audio from match officials.
The situation comes at a crucial time. Al-Nassr sit four points ahead of Al-Ahli and two ahead of Al-Hilal, with a game in hand and seven matches remaining.
Ronaldo remains the league’s biggest name, but he has yet to win a major honour with the club. Now, with tensions rising, this title race has taken a dramatic turn.
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