Çiğdem Belci

Çiğdem Belci (born 17 June 1987) is a Turkish women's football defender currently playing in the First League for Beşiktaş J.K. in Istanbul with jersey number 5. She is a member of the Turkish national team since 2003.[1][2]

Çiğdem Belci

Çiğdem Belci for Ataşehir Belediyespor in the 2013–14 season.
Personal information
Date of birth	17 June 1987
Place of birth	Mersin, Turkey
Position(s)	Defender
Club information
Current team	Beşiktaş J.K.
Number	5
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2008	Mersin Camspor	13	(2)
2008–2009	Mersingücü Cengiz Topelspor	17	(4)
2009–2010	Trabzonspor	17	(3)
2010–2015	Ataşehir Belediyespor	88	(11)
2015–2016	Kireçburnu Spor	18	(5)
2016–2018	Ataşehir Belediyespor	41	(2)
2018–	Beşiktaş J.K.	27	(6)
National team^‡
2003	Turkey U-19	5	(0)
2006–2016	Turkey	45	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of ) February 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 June 2016

Early life

Çiğdem Belci was born on 17 June 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 playing for Ataşehir Belediyespor in the 2013–14 season.

Çiğdem Belci playing for Kireçburnu Spor in the 2015–16 season.

Çiğdem Belci of Beşiktaş J.K. in the 2018–19 Women's First League s season.

Çiğdem Belci obtained her license from her hometown club Mersin Camspor on 1 September 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 11 August 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]

For the 2015–16 season, she signed with Kireçburnu Spor, which was recently promoted to the Women's First League. Belci serves as the captain of the team.[6] In the 2016–17 season, she returned to her former club Ataşehir Belediyespor.[1]

In the 2018–19 league season, she transferred to Beşiktaş J.K..[7] She enjoyed the champion title of her team in the 2018-19 season.[1] She took part at the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League - Group 9 matches.[8][9][10]

International

Çiğdem Belci (white) in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 6 match against Belarus.

Belci made her first appearance in the Turkey women's U-19 national team in the match against Romania juniors at the International Norte Alentejano Tournament held in Portugal on 28 May 2003. She capped five times in the junior women's national team.[1]

On 6 August 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 9 February 2020.[1]

Club	Season	League			Continental		National		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Mersin Camspor	1999–2008	First League	13	2	–	–	12	0	25	2
	Total		13	2	–	–	12	0	25	2
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	–	–	4	0	21	3
	Total		17	3	–	–	4	0	21	3
Ataşehir Belediyespor	2010–11	First League	22	6	–	–	4	0	26	6
	2011–12	First League	19	3	3	0	7	0	29	3
	2012–13	First League	17	1	3	0	2	0	22	1
	2013–14	First League	15	1	–	–	7	0	22	1
	2014–15	First League	15	0	–	–	3	0	18	0
	Total		88	11	6	0	23	0	117	11
Kireçburnu Spor	2015–16	First League	18	5	–	–	9	0	27	5
	Total		18	5	–	–	9	0	27	5
Ataşehir Belediyespor	2016–17	First League	23	0	–	–	0	0	23	0
	2017–18	First League	18	2	–	–	0	0	18	2
	2018–19	First League	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	0
	Total		41	2	3	0	0	0	44	2
Beşiktaş J.K.	2018–19	First League	16	4	–	–	0	0	16	4
	2019–20	First League	11	2	3	0	0	0	14	2
	Total		27	6	3	0	0	0	30	6
Career total			221	33	12	0	52	0	285	33

Honours

Turkish Women's First Football League

Ataşehir Belediyespor

Winners (3): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18

Runners-up (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15

Third places (1): 2016–17

Beşiktaş J.K.

Winners (1): 2018–19

References

1. "Player Details – Çiğdem Belci". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
2. "Çiğdem Belci". UEFA. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
3. "Çiğdem Belci "Kadın olarak zor bir iş yapıyoruz" /Hürriyet Röportajı" (in Turkish). Bilgin Defterli. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
4. "Ataşehir Belediyespor 1–4 Olimpia Cluj" (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
5. "Ataşehir Belediyespor 2–4 Pomurje" (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
6. "Kireçburnu yine gururlandırdı". Sarıyer Posta (in Turkish). 4 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
7. "Ataşehir Belediyespor 0–2 Beşiktaş A.Ş." (in Turkish). Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
8. "Beşiktaş (TUR) 1-1 Górnik Leczna (POL)". UEFA. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
9. "Twente (NED) 2-2 Beşiktaş (TUR)". UEFA. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
10. "Alashkert (ARM) 0-3 Beşiktaş (TUR)". UEFA. Retrieved 15 August 2019.

External links

• Çiğdem Belci – UEFA competition record