Other occupation Teacher League Role 2010–2014 Regional Amateur | Years League 2010–2014 A2 2014– TFF Third | |
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Born October 26, 1982 (age 34)
Izmir, Turkey ( 1982-10-26 ) | ||
Melis Özçiğdem (born October 26, 1982), aka Meliz Özçiğdem, is a Turkish FIFA listed football referee and former international women's footballer. She is a teacher of physical education at a secondary school in Konak, Izmir.
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Club
Melis Özçiğdem began her sports career after obtaining her license for İzmir Öztürkspor in her hometown on November 8, 1999. She joined Ankara University's football team on March 2, 2001 when she enrolled at the university in Ankara. On December 24 that year, she noved to Gazi Üniversitesispor, where she played until the end of the 2001–02 season in the First League capping 8 times and scoring 10 goals. As the women's football league in Turkey was suspended between 2003 and 2006, she took a break. Finally, she transferred to Bucaspor for the 2006–07 season.
International
Özçiğdem was admitted to the Turkey U-19 team and debuted in the 2000 UEFA Women's Under-18 Championship Second qualifying round match against Ireland on October 19, 1999. She took part at the 2001 UEFA Women's Under-18 Championship First qualifying and Second qualifying round matches. She appeared in 11 matches of the Turkey women's U-19 team.
On May 20, 2001, she played for the first time in the Turkey women's team at the friendly match against Greece. Özçiğdem was part of the national team at the 2003 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) – Group 8 and UEFA Euro 2009 qualifying – Group A1 matches. She capped 8 times in total for the Turkey women's nationals.
She was part of the Turkey yeam at the 2005 Summer Universiade held in Izmir.
Domestic
Özçiğdem began her referee career as an assistant referee in a match of the Turkish youth league, (Turkish: Deplasmanlı Süper Gençler Ligi, DSGL, on October 20, 2007. She was tasked in this capacity at the Women's First League on November 30, 2008.
She made her debut as a referee in the Women's Second League on December 28, 2008. She served in various competitions of the Turkish men's reserve team league, called A2 Ligi from November 15, 2010 on. She was promoted to officiate in the Women's First League on December 5, 2010. She appeared for the first time as referee in the TFF Third League on September 20, 2014, and as fourth official in the TFF Second League on December 14 the same year.
International
Özçiğdem officiated two of the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification – Group 4 matches in October 2013, two of the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification – Group 6 matches in April 2014, two games of the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round – Group 6 on August 9–11, 2014 and two of the 2015 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification – Group 1 matches in October 2014. She served as referee in two matches of the 2016 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification – Group 10 in September 2015.