08.05.2026 11:32
In Zonguldak, 22-year-old nursing student Zehra Güngör earns her surroundings' admiration by balancing her education with her beloved role as a football referee. Güngör, who is a referee on the field, a student in the faculty, and a nurse at the hospital, says, 'People tell me to choose one of the two professions, but I will continue both.'
Zehra Güngör, a 22-year-old nursing student in Zonguldak, earns the admiration of those around her by balancing her education with her passion for football refereeing.
Güngör, who first encountered the refereeing profession during high school in Balıkesir thanks to a football referee who came to her school for career guidance, attended a course opened by the provincial referee board four years ago. After successfully passing the exams following her refereeing training, Güngör began officiating amateur matches.
Güngör, who passed the university entrance exam and was admitted to the Nursing Department at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, transferred her registration to Zonguldak to continue her beloved refereeing. A third-year student, Güngör has been balancing nursing education and refereeing for three years, and alongside her intense schedule, she continues her internship at the university hospital two days a week.
Güngör, who strives to stay fit through training in her free time from school and internship, aims to be a role model by successfully managing both professions despite those who said 'you can't do it.'
"WOMEN BEAUTIFY EVERY PLACE THEY ARE IN"
Zehra Güngör told AA correspondent that she has been interested in football since childhood.
Noting that she combines her studies, internship, and refereeing, Güngör said, 'It looks very difficult from the outside, but when you do the job with love and enjoyment, the difficulty and fatigue fade away by the end of the day. Sometimes I have to leave the internship and come to training. Most of my friends prefer to go home and rest after their internship. But I come to the field and do my sport.'
Güngör emphasized that people often say she must 'choose,' but she wants to pursue both professions together.
Stating that there is no task women cannot accomplish if they want to, Güngör said, 'Women beautify every place they are in. Many people think, 'What business does a woman have in football?' but I believe women should be everywhere. When women are on the field, men act less aggressively; seeing a woman on the field, they adjust their behavior accordingly.'
Güngör stated that she does her utmost to make her family, who always support her, proud, and that she strives for this and earns the appreciation of those around her.
Stating that she works to be the best at her job, Güngör explained that she gives advice and guides women to become referees.
THE DREAM OF A FIFA BADGE
Güngör noted that they receive a lot of help in the refereeing community, and thanks to this support, the number of female referees increases day by day, emphasizing this is important for the sports community.
Advising those who have not dared to take the first step to ignore negative criticism, Güngör said, 'Despite hearing 'you can't do it, you won't manage it' from everyone, I want to be an example to many women by managing both these challenging professions, as both a nurse and a referee.'
Güngör added that she aims to realize her dreams by obtaining the FIFA badge, which she sees as the pinnacle of refereeing.