Ivan Toney has joined an astonishing refereeing row over claims that match officials are attempting to help Cristiano Ronaldo win the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ahli, Toney’s team, are third in the league and had three penalty appeals dismissed in their 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha. The dropped points further strengthened the position of Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr at the top of the SPL and Al-Ahli have called for the release of the match referee’s audio recordings.
Toney revealed that during the match referee Mohammed Sami Al-Ismail told him to “focus on the AFC”, alluding to the Asian Champions League. Al-Ahli released a statement after the match that claimed officiating errors raised questions over the integrity of the competition.
“It’s actually crazy how you can miss things like this in crucial moments or choose to turn a blind eye. And without saying too much that may get me in trouble, it’s clear what’s being influenced here!!!” posted Toney on Instagram.
Toney, 30, outlined his interaction with Al-Ismail in an explosive television interview after questioning one of his decisions. The referee had also awarded a penalty which was overturned after a VAR review.
Al-Ahli’s draw means they are four points behind Al-Nassr, who agreed a new contract with Ronaldo last summer after his future in the Middle East appeared in doubt. The 41-year-old is widely reported to have a base salary worth £62m a season, although he is yet to win the title with Al-Nassr.
“We know who. Who are we chasing?” Toney said. “Hopefully we get some decisions, fair ones. If we have good referees and we play how we normally play, and decisions go our way, we have a good chance. If it’s like this, it’s always going to be tough.
“The big talking point was the two penalties. It’s clear as day. I’m not sure what more you want him to do – if he picked the ball up with two hands, are you going to give a penalty then?
“When we tried to talk to the referee he just told us ‘focus on the AFC’. How can the referee say this? If you want me to go deeper, it might get me in trouble. But I am a man that says it how it is. It’s a clear talking point with the referee. His mind is elsewhere. He said his earpiece is recording so I hope it picked it up.
“It clearly wasn’t fair. There are two penalties. The first is clear, he is in an unnatural position. Throughout the season, it’s a clear penalty. But now we come to crunch time they change it. I don’t know why.”
Riyad Mahrez – the former Manchester City winger and now Toney’s team-mate – backed Al-Ahli’s statement, which read: “Al-Ahli expresses its deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected today’s match. 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 calls for access to the recordings and communications between the referees and the VAR, as well as their interactions with the team’s players during the match. It also requests clear explanations for all refereeing incidents where the decisions were not correctly made.”