Al Ahli criticizes the referees in the Saudi Pro League, Ivan Toney claims favoritism

Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli said they were dissatisfied with the referees’ decisions during the match against Al Fayha on April 8, while striker Ivan Toney suggested the referees favor certain clubs.

In a statement on Thursday, the team said: «The referee’s decisions had a direct impact on the conduct of the match and its ultimate outcome, which in turn affected the team’s position in the title race.»

Toney scored to take the lead, and Fayha’s Jason equalized before Al Ahli had two penalties for handball dismissed by VAR. The result left the team in third place with 66 points from 28 matches, four behind leaders Al Nassr, who has played one match less.

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«Such errors raise legitimate concerns regarding the referee selection process and the criteria applied, especially considering the high technical and competitive level of the Saudi Roshn League. Al-Ahli Club Company requests 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 made correctly,» it added.

After the match, Toney expressed his feelings through the Saudi media Thank you, that claim the fourth official told him to “focus on the Asian Champions League” instead of the competition.