Defendants accused with murder stand behind bars at court in Cairo, Egypt, June 9, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Yasser Sayed Ahmed, a lawyer for the family of one of the victims hailed the ruling as "extremely fair and satisfactory".

Soccer matches are often a flashpoint for violence in Egypt. The teams in the Port Said incident - al-Masry and Cairo's al-Ahli - are longtime rivals. Witnesses said the rioting broke out after Cairo fans unfurled banners insulting the local team, which had won the match 3-1.

Since then Egypt has curbed the number of people allowed to attend and supporters have often tried to storm stadiums they are banned from entering.

In February, at least 22 people were killed outside an Egyptian soccer stadium when security forces barred fans from entering, the public prosecutor's office said at the time.

Most of the casualties suffocated when the crowd stampeded after police used tear gas to clear the fans trying to force their way into a league match between two Cairo clubs, Zamalek and Enppi, doctors and witnesses said.