Cristiano Ronaldo had the last laugh in his new rivalry with Ivan Toney and duly let him know it after coming up against him on Wednesday night in a fiery encounter.
Earlier this month, Toney launched a scathing attack on the integrity of officiating in the Saudi Pro League as one of his Al-Ahli team-mates suggested they are attempting to ‘hand the trophy’ to Cristiano Ronaldo – something the ex-Brentford star also appeared to hint at.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr sit top of the Saudi Pro League and their title hopes were boosted after a 2-0 win over Al-Ahli in midweek.
The Portuguese opened the scoring in the 76th minute but it wasn’t until the second goal was scored that he and his team-mates let Toney know how they truly feel.
Kingsley Coman completed the scoreline in the 90th minute and celebrated in Toney’s face before being congratulated by his team-mates.
And while Coman did that, footage shows Ronaldo yelling towards the England striker in a provocative manner.
Cristiano Ronaldo (centre right) goaded Ivan Toney during Al-Nassr’s victory over Al-Ahli
With adrenaline high, things later spilled over when multiple players from both teams were involved in confronting each other after Coman clattered into the back of Turkish defender Merih Demiral.
As the melee ensued, objects can be seen being thrown down from the stands while Coman eventually got booked.
The build-up to the match was spiky as Demiral brought his recently won Asian Champions League medal to the stadium before the match, captioning it on social media: ‘For the first time, there’s a Champions League medal in their stadium.’
Then during his post-match interview, Al-Ahli fans were teasing Ronaldo about his lack of medals in Saudi Arabia, but he responded: ‘I have five,’ in reference to his UEFA Champions League titles.
Al-Nassr’s victory sees them eight points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League on 79 points with four games remaining, although second-placed Al-Hilal do have a game in hand.
Since joining Al-Nassr in 2022, Ronaldo is yet to win the Saudi Pro League but that wait looks set to end.
For Al-Ahli they are third, 13 points behind Al-Nassr and with a game in hand.
That defeat will only see their frustrations grow after Toney and Co’s accusations earlier this month after a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha. After that result Toney claimed his side were denied several penalties.
The end of the match saw a melee ensue between the two teams after a bad tackle
Goalscorer Kingsley Coman was the culprit after clattering into the back of Merih Demiral
As tempers flared between the two teams, objects were thrown on to the pitch from the stands
He alleged that when he and his Al-Ahli team-mates attempted to talk to the referee, they were told to instead focus on the AFC Champions League.
‘I think the very big talking point was the two penalties, it is as clear as day,’ Toney said in a post-match interview. ‘I don’t know what more you want him to do, if you pick the ball up with two hands are you going to give a penalty or not?
‘When we tried to talk to the referee, he told us to “focus on the AFC [Champions League]”. How can the referee say this? We are talking about now and he is saying to focus on the AFC.
‘If you want me to go deeper, I can go deeper, it might get me into trouble but I am a man that says it how it is. There are clear talking points with the referee, but his mind is elsewhere.
‘Throughout the season, it was a clear penalty but now we get to the crunch time and they change it.’
When asked who would benefit from the decisions, Toney laughed and replied: ‘We know who, who are we chasing?’ in a possible reference to Ronaldo.
Toney later doubled down on social media by sharing videos of three penalty appeals during the match and claimed ‘it is clear what is being influenced here’.
‘It’s actually crazy how you can miss things like this in crucial moments or chose to turn a blind eye. It’s clear what is being influenced here.
‘Also with the referee telling us to concentrate on a different competition while VAR is going on is beyond me.
‘Add to that with the referee agreeing that the first one was a penalty in the 90+ minute like that’s going to help.
‘I am probably the bad guy for speaking some truths and pointing out questionable decisions or s*** refereeing.’
Toney’s team-mate Galeno added to the controversy, alleging the Saudi Pro League wants to ‘hand the trophy to one person’.
‘Hand over the trophy, that’s what they want, they want to knock us out of the championship by any means necessary, they want to hand the trophy to one person, a total lack of respect for our club,’ he wrote on social media.
Both players were backed by Al-Ahli, who urged the league to release recordings between the officials and their players during the match and demanded explanations over the refereeing decisions.
Earlier this month, Toney questioned the integrity of officiating in the Saudi Pro League after his Al-Ahli side saw penalty appeals waved away by the referee in a 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha
Toney appeared to suggest that Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, the current league leaders, would benefit as a result of the controversial refereeing decisions
The England international shared clip of three penalty appeals on social media after the match
Toney claimed it was ‘clear what’s being influenced here’, after the Al-Ahli forward had also alleged the referee had told him to focus on the AFC Champions League
‘Al Ahli club company expresses its deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected today’s match of the first football team against Al Fayha in round 29 of the Saudi Roshn League,’ a club statement read. ‘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 club company calls for 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 correctly made.
‘In closing, Al Ahli club company reaffirms its confidence in the commitment of the relevant authorities to safeguarding the integrity of the competition and taking the necessary practical steps that reflect the high standing the Saudi Roshn League has reached.’
