Criticizing Ronaldo, opponent receives complaint from Al Nassr

Al Nassr of Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be ready to submit an official complaint to the Saudi Pro League, after the contentious remarks made post-match by Ivan Toney and Galeno on the Al Ahli side.

The Saudi Pro League title race, currently led by Al Nassr of Cristiano Ronaldo with 70 points, has become extremely tense after the controversial 1-1 draw between Al Ahli and Al Fayha. After the match, Al Ahli striker Ivan Toney criticized the refereeing, while his teammate Galeno implied that the league organizers are favoring Ronaldo and Al Nassr in the championship race.

In response to these allegations, an internal source from Al Nassr, Nawaf Al Tamimi, stated that the club “will file a formal complaint to the Disciplinary Committee on Sunday targeting Ivan Toney and Galeno”.

The frustration from Al Ahli stems from several controversial decisions in the aforementioned draw, as they believe they were denied three clear penalties. One notable incident occurred in the 98th minute, a moment Al Ahli felt could have changed the match outcome and helped them maintain their advantage in the title race.

Although the allegations are serious, particularly Toney's criticism of the referee and Galeno's implication of bias towards Ronaldo, legal experts believe the duo is unlikely to face suspension.

Legal analyst Ahmed Al Sheikhi stated on the program Nadina in Saudi Arabia that they are likely to only receive a fine. He cited a previous similar case, where Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus was fined 30,000 riyals for statements related to the political influence of Al Hilal.

Adding to the tension, Toney also revealed that during VAR review, the fourth referee made a disrespectful comment towards his team. Toney shared after the match: “I don't know if the referee had turned off his microphone before telling me: ‘Focus on the AFC Champions League’. That's why we need to release the recordings, so fans can see the truth.”

However, reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that the Referees Committee reviewed the audio recordings from the refereeing team and found no evidence supporting Toney's accusation.