The Saudi Pro League title race—currently led by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr with 70 points—reached a boiling point following Al Ahli’s controversial 1-1 draw against Al Fayha. In the aftermath, Al Ahli striker Ivan Toney was highly critical of the officiating, while teammate Galeno implied the league is favoring Ronaldo and Al Nassr in the quest for the championship.
In response to these allegations, Al Nassr insider Nawaf Al Tamimi reported that the club “will file an official complaint against Ivan Toney and Galeno with the Disciplinary Committee on Sunday”.
The frustration from the Al Ahli camp stems from several disputed calls during their draw, with the club claiming they were denied three clear penalties. One such incident occurred in the 98th minute, a moment Al Ahli believe could have shifted the result and kept them closer in the title hunt.
Toney and Galeno unlikely to face suspension
Despite the severity of the accusations—specifically Toney’s criticism of the referees and Galeno’s implication of bias toward Ronaldo—legal experts do not expect the duo to face match suspensions.
🚨 BREAKING: Ivan Toney has accused Saudi Pro League referees of doing everything possible for Cristiano Ronaldo, Alnassr to win the league.
— Speedline (@speedlinexx) April 9, 2026
🗣️”Who benefits?”
🗣️Toney: “The team we’re chasing.” pic.twitter.com/dALXFScrEP
Legal analyst Ahmed Al Sheikhi noted on the Saudi program Nadina that the players will likely receive financial fines instead. He cited similar precedents in the league, such as a 30,000 riyal fine previously issued to Al Nassr manager Jorge Jesus for comments regarding Al Hilal’s political influence.
SPL refutes claims of official misconduct
Adding to the tension, Toney claimed that during a VAR review, the fourth official made a disparaging comment to his team. “I don’t know if the referee turned off his microphone before he said what he told me: ‘Focus on the Asian Champions League,'” Toney said during his post-match interview. “This is why we need the audio recordings to be released, so the fans can see the truth”.
However, reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that the Referees Committee has already reviewed the audio recordings from the officiating crew and found no evidence to support Toney’s claims.
