( CNN ) -- In a country obsessed with its premier sport , Egypt 's football season kicks off Saturday to heavy anticipation -- but without any fans in the stands . Instead of the roars of raucous crowds , players take the pitch to the relative silence of secure military stadiums . Saturday 's matches are the first since a gruesome riot at a football match last year that left 74 dead and 1,000 injured . Dubbed the `` massacre at Port Said , '' the riot in February 2012 broke out after Port Said-based Al-Masry defeated Cairo 's Al-Ahly , 3-1 . Fans from both sides bashed one another with rocks and chairs , and many of those who died fell from the bleachers while others suffocated . While the football rivalries between the cities have been a mainstay , recent political upheaval has only fueled the fire . Last week , a judge issued death sentences for 21 Port Said residents for their roles in the riot . Those verdicts incensed Port Said residents who blame security officials -- not fans -- for the mass tragedy . Fear and loathing in Egypt : The fallout from Port Said . Decades of strife . The history of tense relations between Port Said and Cairo date about 60 years , as residents of Port Said have felt betrayed by Egyptian security forces during a series of wars with Israel . Thousands of residents were displaced several times because of the Suez War , the Six-Day War of 1967 , the War of Attrition with Israel , and the 1973 Arab-Israeli War . Residents of Port Said , in the northeastern corner of the country , believed security forces did not adequately defend their city . In addition , some say Cairo has not invested enough in Port Said 's infrastructure , and that their city does n't reap enough tax benefits from trade with international ships that pass though Port Said via the critical Suez Canal . Some also contend that Port Said is still getting the cold shoulder from Cairo after a 1999 assassination attempt of then-President Hosni Mubarak , who was visiting the city . Could Egypt fall apart ? Molotov cocktails and fire at the presidential palace . The new football season also kicks off amid new turmoil embroiling the country . The latest spate of violence started during demonstrations last week to mark the two-year anniversary of the Egyptian revolution . Protesters angry with the slow pace of change and with President Mohamed Morsy 's actions clashed with Morsy supporters and police in the cities such as Suez and Ismailia . Those clashes , combined with furor over Port Said death sentences , led to scores of deaths . The chaos snowballed through Friday , when a fire broke out at the entrance of the presidential palace as protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks at security forces . Authorities responded with tear gas and water cannon , and Egyptian TV aired live footage of security forces beating a naked man on the ground . A presidential spokesman on Saturday deplored the video of the man being beaten , calling it `` shocking . '' The government assures `` that what happened was an individual behaviot and does not represent the ideology of the police force , '' spokesman Yasser Ali said . He promised an investigation into the incident . The protests are the latest in the seesaw struggle between Egypt 's first democratically elected president and dissidents who say his leadership is a throwback to past dictatorships , particularly the reign of Mubarak , who was toppled two years ago in the popular revolt . Protesters attack presidential palace in Cairo . More than just a game . In Egypt , football is n't just a sport . It 's an escape from the economic , political and social tumult wracking the country . The only times traffic virtually disappears from Cairo streets are when residents break their daily fasts during Ramadan and when the city 's two main teams -- Al-Ahly and Zamalek -- take the field . Saturday 's matches feature both those Cairo teams -- Al-Alhy against Ghazl El-Mehalla and Zamalek against Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary . But while football has both unified and polarized parts of the country , fans now must cheer or lament from afar . CNN 's Ben Wedeman , Reza Sayah and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report .
NEW : Presidential spokesman promises investigation of police who beat protester . Saturday 's matches are the first since last year 's deadly football riot . 74 people were injured after a Port Said team beat a Cairo team in 2012 . A judged sentences 21 Port Said residents to death for their role in the riot .