![]() Tezcan in 1947 | ||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Şazi Tezcan | |||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 1907 | |||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Constantinople, Ottoman Empire | |||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 1962 (aged 54–55) | |||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Turkey | |||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) | |||||||||||||||
Darüşşafaka | ||||||||||||||||||
Kasımpaşa | ||||||||||||||||||
Beykoz | ||||||||||||||||||
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Şazi Tezcan (1907 – 1962) was a Turkish football player and referee. He became Turkey's first referee to officiate an international match, and became a FIFA referee in 1948.
Born in 1907 in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), [1] Tezcan played as a goalkeeper for Darüşşafaka, Kasımpaşa, and Beykoz. [2] He was also a physical education teacher at the Commercial High School. [2] In 1928 Tezcan broke his arm, and was unable to continue playing football and working as a teacher. [2]
In 1932, Tezcan attended the Turkish Football Federation's first training courses for referees, obtaining his diploma and starting his refereeing career. [2] On 28 November 1937, Tezcan officiated a match at the Taksim Stadium between Fenerbahçe and Greek side AEK, which ended in a 3–2 win for AEK. [2] Tezcan expelled Esad'ı of Fenerbahçe, despite yellow and red cards not existing at the time; [3] the referee was punished with a lifetime ban. [2] The Istanbul District Disciplinary Board overturned the decision on 5 March 1938. [3]
On 1 October 1940, a new law was enacted in Turkey where referees were officially licensed: Tezcan was given the first "national referee" license. [2] On 4 May 1947, Tezcan refereed an international game between Lebanon and Syria at the Beirut Municipal Stadium, [4] becoming the first Turkish referee to officiate a match between two international sides. [2] He became a FIFA referee in 1948, earning the FIFA badge. [2]
Tezcan died in 1962. [2]