A video clip circulating on X on Wednesday has reignited claims of officiating bias in the Saudi Pro League, with a post attributing explosive comments to Al-Ahli defender.
The account CrewsMat10 shared footage captioned "Merih Demiral on how the Saudi league is rigged for Ronaldo to win," quoting him as saying: "The refereeing is crazy, I swear to God... look at my leg. decisions always go in favour of Al-Nassr. Every season they're pushed towards titles. It's unbelievable, honestly."
After a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha, striker Ivan Toney said his side were denied "two penalties, it is as clear as day," and claimed the referee told protesting players to "focus on the AFC [Champions League]." Toney added, "We know who, who are we chasing?" a clear reference to league leaders Al-Nassr.
Brazilian winger Galeno went further online, writing "Hand over the trophy, that's what they want... they want to hand the trophy to one person." Al-Ahli have formally requested audio recordings between on-field officials and VAR to demand explanations for decisions.
The controversy intensified after scored in Al-Nassr's 2-0 win over Al-Ahli on April 28, a result that put Al-Nassr top on 79 points after 30 games, seven points from securing their first title since 2018-19.