The 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season added yet another controversy to an already heated campaign, with Al Ahli now at the center of the storm. Club star Galeno has made a sweeping accusation, claiming the league is trying to “give the trophy” to Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The controversy erupted on Thursday when Al Ahli were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Fayha in Matchday 28. Ivan Toney had broken records with the opening goal for the visitors, but Jason leveled in the 53rd minute to deny Al Ahli all three points, leaving them with 66 points, four behind Al Nassr with a game in hand still to play.
The frustration among Al Ahli‘s players boiled over after a series of refereeing decisions that went against them, most glaring of all a moment in the 98th minute when an Al Fayha defender appeared to handle the ball inside the box, only for no penalty to be awarded. A VAR review failed to overturn the call, a decision that was widely seen as going in favor of the team sitting atop the league table.
After the final whistle, Brazilian winger Galeno took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to vent his frustration in a pointed message: “They might as well just hand over the trophy; that’s clearly what they want. They’re trying every possible way to force us out of the title race. They want to give the trophy to one specific person—it’s a total lack of respect for our club.“
While Galeno stopped short of naming anyone directly, the reference to “one specific person” was widely interpreted as a pointed jab at Cristiano Ronaldo and the perceived favoritism toward Al Nassr in the title race.
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Ivan Toney joins the discussion
Toney also went public with his grievances after the match, raising serious accusations not only about the refereeing decisions themselves but also about what he claims was said to the players on the pitch. In a series of Instagram stories compiling three separate incidents where he felt penalties should have been given, Toney did not hold back.
“2 of these actions went to VAR and one didn’t. 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! Also with the referee telling us to concentrate on a different competition whilst VAR is going on is beyond me,” Toney wrote.
Beyond the missed calls, Toney’s claim that a referee told Al Ahli players to “focus on a different competition” was perhaps the most explosive element of his statement. With Al Ahli scheduled to face Al Duhail SC in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, the remark carries serious implications and could prompt further investigation.
“And to add with the referee agreeing that the first one was a penalty in the 90+ minute like that’s going to help. But listen I guess I’m probably the bad guy for speaking some truths and pointing out questionable decisions or s— refereeing. Next time if needed I can bring someone from my area that doesn’t have a clue about football to do a MUCH better job than some of these,” Toney concluded.
Al Ahli’s statement
Backing up the accounts of both Galeno and Toney, Al Ahli released a formal statement expressing their “deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected today’s match” and the impact those decisions had on their title challenge. The club also cited “unfair refereeing decisions” and called for access to recordings and communications between the match officials and the VAR team, as well as any interactions with their players during the game.
The 2025-26 SPL season has been no stranger to officiating controversy, including Cristiano Ronaldo himself previously accusing referees of costing Al Nassr in a match against Al Hilal. Should Toney’s claims prove to have merit, it would represent yet another damaging blow to the credibility of refereeing standards across the league.
