Çiğdem Belci is a Turkish women"s football defender currently playing in the First League for Kireçburnu Spor in Istanbul with jersey number 5.
Background
Çiğdem Belci was born on 17 June 1987 in Mersin, southern Turkey. 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.
Education
She studied physical education and sports at Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun.
Career
She has three older sisters and a younger brother, who follows her footsteps playing in a feeder club in Mersin. 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
After graduation, she was appointed a teacher. Club
Çiğdem Belci obtained her license from her hometown club Mersin Camspor on 1 September 1999, where she played until the end of 2007-2008 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 2009-2010 season. 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 Union of European Football Associations 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 2011-2012 or in 2012-2013 to advance further to the knockout stage.
Foreign the 2015-2016 season, she signed with Kireçburnu Spor, which was recently promoted to the Women"s First League.
Belci serves as the captain of the team 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 28 May 2003.
She capped twice in the youth national team Belci made first appearance in the Turkey women"s U-19 national team on 23 September 2003 in the match against Swedish juniors at the 2004 Union of European Football Associations 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 On 6 August 2003, she debuted in the national team playing in the friendly match against Russia. Her international participations followed at the Union of European Football Associations Women"s Euro 2009 qualifying round (Northern Ireland, Croatia and Georgia), at the Union of European Football Associations Support International Tournaments (Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Croatia, Malta, Latvia and Macedonia).
Belci played in seven of the eight matches at the 2011 Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup qualification – Union of European Football Associations Group 5 matches (Spain, England, Malta and Austria) as well as in eight of ten matches at the Union of European Football Associations Women"s Euro 2013 qualifying – Group 2 (Spain, Kazakhstan, Romania, Germany and Switzerland).
In 2013, she participated in all the three 2015 Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup qualification – Union of European Football Associations Group 6 matches against English and Montenegron women.
Membership
She is a member of the Turkish national team since 2003.