Çiğdem Belci
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 17, 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Mersin, Turkey | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Ataşehir Belediyespor | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999-2008 | Mersin Camspor | 13 | (3) |
| 2008-2009 | Mersingücü Cengiz Topelspor | 17 | (4) |
| 2009-2010 | Trabzonspor | 17 | (3) |
| 2010-present | Ataşehir Belediyespor | 71 | (11) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2003 | Turkey U-17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2003 | Turkey U-19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2003-present | Turkey | 35 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of December 22, 2013. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Çiğdem Belci (born June 17, 1987) is a Turkish women's football defender currently playing in the First League for Ataşehir Belediyespor with jersey number 12. She is a member of the Turkish national team since 2003.[1][2]
Early life
Çiğdem Belci was born on June 17, 1987 in Mersin, southern Turkey. She has three older sisters and a younger brother, who follows her footsteps playing in a feeder club in Mersin.[3]
At the age of eight, she began playing football with boys in the neighborhood. Convinced by her daughter's interest, the father took her then to Mersin Camspor, and registered her. However, feared of her daughter's future, he wanted her leave the club. Her mother supported Çiğdem, and was able to stop the father's pressure. Her father changed his mind when she transferred to successful clubs and continued with her higher education.[3]
She studied physical education and sports at Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun. After graduation, she was appointed a teacher.[3]
Career
Club
Çiğdem Belci obtained her license from her hometown club Mersin Camspor on September 1, 1999, where she played until the end of 2007–08 season and capped 13 times scoring three goals. She moved to Mersingücü Cengiz Topelspor and after one season, she transferred to the Black Sea club Trabzonspor for the 2009–10 season.[1]
The next season, Belci signed for the Istanbul-based club Ataşehirspor, and enjoyed two consecutive league championships in 2011 and 2012. She debuted in the UEFA Women's Champions League playing against Lithuanian side Gintra Universitetas on August 11, 2011. She participated in three group matches of the qualifying round. The next year, she played again in three qualifying round matches. However, her team was not successful either in 2011–12 or in 2012–13 to advance further to the knockout stage.[4][5]
International
Çiğdem Belci was called up to the Turkey girls' U-17 national team to play at the International Norte Alentejano Tournament held in Portugal. he debuted in the match against Romania on May 28, 2003. She capped twice in the youth national team.[1]
Belci made first appearance in the Turkey women's U-19 national team on September 23, 2003 in the match against Swedish juniors at the 2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualiciation round. She played against Poland and Slovenia at the same tournament. She capped three times in the junior women's national team.[1]
On August 6, 2003, she debuted in the national team playing in the friendly match against Russia. Her international participations followed at the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying round (Northern Ireland, Croatia and Georgia), at the UEFA Support International Tournaments (Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Croatia, Malta, Latvia and Macedonia). Belci played in seven of the eight matches at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 5 matches (Spain, England, Malta and Austria) as well as in eight of ten matches at the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying – Group 2 (Spain, Kazakhstan, Romania, Germany and Switzerland). In 2013, she participated in all the three 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 6 matches against English and Montenegron women.[1]
Career statistics
- As of match played December 22, 2013
| Club | Season | League | Continental | National | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mersin Camspor | 1999–2008 | First League | 13 | 3 | - | - | 15 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| Total | 13 | 3 | - | - | 15 | 0 | 28 | 3 | ||
| Mersingücü Cengiz Topelspor | 2008–09 | First League | 17 | 4 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 21 | 4 |
| Total | 17 | 4 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 21 | 4 | ||
| Trabzonspor | 2009–10 | First League | 17 | 3 | - | - | 7 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Total | 17 | 3 | - | - | 7 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | 2010–11 | First League | 22 | 6 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 26 | 6 |
| 2011–12 | First League | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2012–13 | First League | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 † | First League | 7 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 65 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 85 | 11 | ||
| Career total | 112 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 158 | 21 | ||
- † As of 22 December 2013. Season in progress.
Honors
Club
- Ataşehir Belediyespor
- Champion: 2010–11, 2011–12
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Player Details - Çiğdem Belci". Turkish Footbal Federation. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ↑ "Çiğdem Belci". UEFA. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Çiğdem Belci "Kadın olarak zor bir iş yapıyoruz" /Hürriyet Röportajı" (in Turkish). Bilgin Defterli. December 17. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ↑ "Ataşehir Belediyespor 1-4 Olimpia Cluj" (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ↑ "Ataşehir Belediyespor 2-4 Pomurje" (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.