Tuta (footballer, born 1999)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Silva and the second or paternal family name is Melo.
Tuta
Tuta warming up for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022
Personal information
Full name Lucas Silva Melo
Date of birth (1999-07-04) 4 July 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth São Paulo, Brazil
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Eintracht Frankfurt
Number 35
Youth career
–2018 São Paulo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 São Paulo 0 (0)
2019– Eintracht Frankfurt 121 (8)
2019–2020 → Kortrijk (loan) 14 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 January 2025

Lucas Silva Melo (born 4 July 1999), known as Tuta, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.[2]

He acquired his nickname due to his likeness to former Brazilian footballer Moacir Bastos, who is also known as Tuta.

Career

In January 2019, Tuta joined Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt from São Paulo, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract lasting until 30 June 2023.[3] In August 2019, Tuta joined Belgian club Kortrijk on a season-long loan from Frankfurt.[4] He made his debut for Kortrijk in the Belgian First Division A on 24 November 2019, starting in the away match against Anderlecht, which finished as a 0–0 draw.[5] He made 18 appearances and scored one goal for Kortrijk until April 2020, when the season was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He returned to Frankfurt for the Bundesliga 2020-21 season and made four appearances for the club the first half of the season. After Eintracht team captain David Abraham retired from professional football in January 2021, Tuta became a starting player, playing in the central defense together with Evan Ndicka and Martin Hinteregger.[6] Tuta scored his first goal for Frankfurt and in the Bundesliga on 30 October 2021, when he scored the late equalizer in a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig.[7]

On 18 May 2022, Tuta won the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League title. He appeared in the starting formation in the final against Rangers.[8]

Career statistics

As of match played 15 January 2025[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Eintracht Frankfurt 2020–21 Bundesliga 19 0 1 0 — — 20 0
2021–22 26 4 1 0 11 0 — 38 4
2022–23 31 2 5 0 8 0 1[a] 0 45 2
2023–24 30 1 3 0 8[b] 1 — 41 2
2024–25 15 1 3 0 5[c] 0 — 23 1
Total 121 8 13 0 32 1 1 0 167 9
Kortrijk (loan) 2019–20 Belgian Pro League 14 1 4 0 — — 18 1
Career total 135 9 17 0 32 1 1 0 185 10
  1. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Eintracht Frankfurt

References

  1. ^ "Tuta". Eintracht Frankfurt. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Tuta". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Perspektivspieler Tuta kommt aus Sao Paulo an den Main" [Perspective player Tuta comes from Sao Paulo to the Main]. Eintracht Frankfurt (in German). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Tuta joins KV Kortrijk on loan". Eintracht Frankfurt. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  5. ^ "RSC Anderlecht – KV Kortrijk 0:0 (Eerste klasse A 2019/2020, 16. Round)". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  6. ^ Philipp Geiger (13 February 2021). "Eintracht Frankfurt: Tuta lässt Abraham fast vergessen". 90min.de (in German). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Tuta pulls late equaliser out of the bag as Eintracht Frankfurt hold RB Leipzig". bundesliga.com. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Eintracht Frankfurt's unbeaten run to winning the UEFA Europa League". Bundesliga. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Tuta". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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