Ex-Arsenal striker plays in front of fake fans in Saudi Arabia?!

The development of Saudi Arabian football in the last couple of years has been a genuine breath of fresh air for this sport in general. The Saudis built beautiful stadiums and gathered some renowned names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, etc. in their league.

However, they've recently managed to break new ground...

Founded in 1965, Al-Suqoor Club never had much success. They never won a trophy and mainly played in the second and third flights of the Saudi football. However, everything changed two years ago when Neom, an arcology and planned city being built in Tabuk Province, took ownership of the club.

Lacazette joins a futuristic project in Saudi Arabia

Its name was changed to NEOM S.C. and the once-minnows earned two consecutive promotions from the third and second tiers, finishing at the top of the table on both occasions.

They took the preparations for their debut in the Saudi Pro League seriously, signing several big names, such as the ex-Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucure, the former West Ham forward Said Benrahma, and the ex-Arsenal net-buster Alexandre Lacazette.

NEOM started the season very well, recording three triumphs in a row after the opening defeat to Al-Ahli, and currently sit in fourth place in the league.

However, here comes the shocking part...

Given that the club is relatively new and that it is owned by a city being built, NEOM have no fans. Hence, they came up with a groundbreaking idea - paid fans!

The recent information claims that people in the crowd receive instructions for cheering via WhatsApp group and are reportedly paid $11 per match!

Now, some would argue that these "professional supporters" are, simply put, fake. On the other hand, every player would probably tell you that it's better to play even in front of them, than in front of empty stands.

Either way, NEOM have managed to draw the football world's attention, and there's no such thing as bad publicity.