Cristiano Ronaldo 'faces' match-fixing and cheating claims amid Al-Ahli VAR row | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo is under scrutiny after a fierce refereeing row in Al-Ahli Jeddah’s 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha, with The Daily Mail reporting he is at the centre of manipulation and cheating allegations in the Roshen Professional League.

The round 29 fixture saw two Al-Ahli penalty appeals rejected, one following a late VAR review. The draw left them on 66 points and further harmed their title push.

Refereeing specialists and analysts have argued Al-Ahli should have received at least one spot-kick. The club later issued an official statement condemning the officiating.

After the match, Ivan Toney accused the referee of favouring Al-Nassr and alleged the official told players to forget the league and focus on the AFC Champions League, calling the episode unprecedented. Yasser described the game as stolen and urged a review of recorded conversations. Head coach Matthias Jaissle echoed those claims, saying the referee pushed the same line about focusing on Asia.

The uproar has fuelled a wider debate given the result’s potential to influence the run-in as Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal contest the decisive rounds. Al-Nassr lead on 70 points, two clear of Al-Hilal and four ahead of Al-Ahli, before Saturday’s meeting with Al-Akhdoud.

Source: Goal.com