Most Violent Football Match Ever Saw 74 People Die and 11 Get Death Sentences
Football was completely shut down in a country following one of the most horrific tragedies in the sport’s history, which led to the deaths of 74 people.
Just 13 years ago, one clash between Egyptian rivals Al Masry and Al Ahly turned into one of the darkest days in football history.
After a tense build up to the game that saw the Green Eagles, a group of Al Masry ultras, upload a song on YouTube threatening the lives of rival supporters, warned of the potential dangers of the game.
In light of the threats, Al Ahly fans were forced to take alternative transport methods to the match, with military vehicles helping transport them from train stations to the Port Said Stadium.
However, nothing could have prepared the Egyptian fans for what was about to happen in the tragic event.
Before the match was even able to begin, Al Masry fans stormed the pitch of the Port Said Stadium, causing kick-off to be delayed by thirty minutes and further adding to the tense atmosphere in the ground.
During half-time and after each of the three second-half goals for Al Masry, fans of the home team stormed the pitch, doing the same after the final whistle.
Following the 3-1 win, Masry fans threw bottles and fireworks at Ahly players, forcing them to rush back to their changing room under police protection, while fans of the visiting side were attacked in melees involving knives and stones.
The horrific melees saw some fans stabbed or clubbed, while others were thrown from the stands or crushed as they tried to escape, ultimately leading to 74 people dying and hundreds more being seriously injured.
Ahly coach Manuel Jose and player Mohamed Aboutrika revealed that they had watched fans of their club be murdered in the away changing room, leading Aboutrika to decide to retire from football.
Following the tragic events, which have since been labelled as the Port Said Stadium riot, Egypt's deputy health minister described it as "the biggest disaster in the country's football history," with the Egyptian Football Association cancelling the remainder of the season.
The league remained suspended for seven months and it wasn't until 2018 that Egyptian fans were able to return to stadiums to support their teams, after giving some of their details to the security services.
In the trials that came after the riot, 73 defendants including nine police officers and two Al Masry officials, were charged in the killing of 72 Ahly fans.
Of the 73 defendants, 21 were given death sentences, five received life sentences, and ten received 15-year sentences while 28 defendants were acquitted, including seven of the police officers.
Following a retrial, Egypt's Court of Cassation upheld final death sentences for 11 people, with the final ruling upholding the death sentences for 10 defendants, although there is no record of these being carried out.
Ben McCrum