Lucas, how do you feel here in Frankfurt and here in Germany?
Thankfully my wife and I have managed to settle in well. Everything's still difficult, of course. Everything here is very different to Brazil. We're much happier here now. We're getting to know a lot more of Germany. We travel around the country and see other places. When we have time off, during the international break, we always do a bit of travelling. We're a lot happier now and have quite a few friends, not only within the club but outside the club too. I think that's helped us a lot.
What do you like and dislike about Germany?
I'll start with what I don't like. It obviously takes a while to get used to the cold. It's very difficult for me and my wife, because it robs you of your energy and makes you feel a bit lethargic, but we're able to cope with it just fine nowadays. Other than that, I can't think of anything we don't like. We want to experience new things, so there's not much that bothers us. I really like Germany because it's a very well organised country. We're made to feel very welcome everywhere. People are friendly. It's still a bit difficult for us because we don't speak very good German. We're getting by with English, but people understand that we don't speak very good German yet, which means everyone always pays more attention. People are really kind to us. We really like it.
You're known as Tuta, but your real name is Lucas Silva Melo. Someone gave you that name because of a similarity to another player. Who was it and how did that come about?
Everyone asks me about that. It started a long time ago. I had a trial training session in São Paulo and one of the coaches looked at me and thought I resembled a former player at the club who was also called Tuta. So he called me over: Come here, Tuta, here's your training top! Off you go! Since then, my relatives and friends call me Tuta and it's stayed that way. I like it though. I think it's a bit different in football. In Brazil it's normal. Most footballers there have a nickname. I think it's cool.
You've got two dogs, Britt und Maia. Where does this passion come from?
We've always really liked pets, we liked them a lot. After coming back from Belgium where I'd been a bit lonely, and because she was also on her own in Brazil - which is why we lived apart - when we arrived in Frankfurt we thought it'd be nice if we had a dog. Then we'd have company. Life as a footballer is difficult. You travel a lot. That's why my wife is often home alone, so for her it was really nice because she had more company. It helped us too, because we're often out and about with our dogs.
Tuta, how was your childhood? Tell us about your years as a kid in Brazil.
I grew up in very humble surroundings. My mother is a fighter. My childhood was heavily influenced by football. I was always running after a ball and always wanted to play. As a kid it was just a game.
It made me happy. My mum always asked me if I was all right, if I was happy and if this was what I wanted to do. hat's where the desire to become a professional footballer came from. I was always on the go. In doing so I got to know a lot of my current friends - all thanks to football. So that's it - a life built around football.
I heard your idol was Ronaldinho. Do you have a jersey from him?
Definitely. I think Ronaldinho is idolized by many young people in Brazil. Everyone dreams of being like him one day. Of course I had his shirt from the national team. When I went to play football on the street, I wore the shirt and felt like him.
What was it like when your agent called you and told you that Eintracht Frankfurt were interested in you – a German club far away from home?
It was a mind-blowing moment. It was in the middle of the season, a day before an important cup game in the Copa São Paulo, one of the biggest competitions in Brazil. It was a day before the semi-final. My agent called me. I was travelling to a different city outside São Paulo. I said: OK, that's interesting. We met up in the evening and he began explaining that it was a foreign club who had been watching me for a while. We were already in touch with Ben Manga. Ben Manga had already watched a lot of my games, so my agent told me this is the offer they've sent. We just need to sit down and decide what you want for your future. But that's the offer. It blew me away at first. I got very emotional and called my mother. I also called my wife. We'd only known each other a short time, everything was still new. So it was one thing after another, it was very special.
How were your early days in Germany?
All Brazilian players find it difficult here in Europe, because the life and culture are so different. That was the case for me too. When I arrived here we were still at the beginning of our relationship, so it was very difficult. In the first six months we got to know the city and the club. The team was doing very well. After the Christmas holidays we sat down together and realised that I needed match practice, so we went to Belgium. That move was difficult too, but I think it was all worthwhile. We've been through a lot together and learned a lot. Those are important lessons for us. As I've said already, we're here to experience new things. That's what we're doing.
You have a lot of tattoos. Do they all have a meaning?
Here's the thing about my tattoos: they don't all have a meaning behind them. I got some of them done when I was practically still a kid. For example, this one was the first. That's the name of my mother. I had a few others done after that. One didn't turn out well. It was supposed to be a lion but it turned out to be some other animal. These days, my favourite tattoo is one I recently got on my arm. It has a deeper meaning. It means warrior. My whole life has been like that. I've always been a fighter, fighting battles. I can relate to this tattoo. I've got a few religious tattoos, like this one on my neck. And there's a sentence here too. These are tattoos that represent me. I'm also a religious person. I believe in the Word of God.
As for this season, it was a hard start for you. First you were in quarantine, then you were injured, then you didn't play much. Who helped you stay confident and keep your head up?
All those moments, which I also went through in Belgium - my wife was always there and saw what I was going through every day. She saw I was always digging deep. I was told where I should improve, even if I didn't want to hear it at times. But she was always very important to me. She probably will be for a long time. She's a person who knows how to put things in perspective, so she was very important.
You came into the team in Munich and we won 2-1 against one of the greatest teams in the world. Was that one of the best victories in your career?
I think it was one of my most important games, due to the fact that I hadn't played much and wasn't in the first-choice eleven. It was a new start, as if it was the first game of my career. I think it was the biggest win of my career, because I think Bayern hadn't lost in over a year. The way the game went, I think it was the most memorable game of my career so far.
