| Ruca | |
| Fullname: | Rui Pedro Coimbra Chaves[1] |
| Birth Date: | 11 September 1990 |
| Birth Place: | Tondela, Portugal |
| Position: | Left-back |
| Currentclub: | São João Ver |
| Youthyears1: | 1999–2000 |
| Youthclubs1: | São Miguel Outeiro |
| Youthyears2: | 2000–2002 |
| Youthclubs2: | Molelos |
| Youthyears3: | 2002–2007 |
| Youthclubs3: | Repesenses |
| Youthyears4: | 2007–2009 |
| Youthclubs4: | Beira-Mar |
| Years1: | 2009–2014 |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2009–2010 |
| Clubs2: | → Tondela (loan) |
| Caps2: | 16 |
| Goals2: | 3 |
| Years3: | 2010 |
| Clubs3: | → Vilaverdense (loan) |
| Caps3: | 15 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2011 |
| Clubs4: | → Oliveira Frades (loan) |
| Caps4: | 19 |
| Goals4: | 7 |
| Years5: | 2011–2012 |
| Clubs5: | → Tondela (loan) |
| Caps5: | 7 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs6: | → Oliveira Frades (loan) |
| Caps6: | 31 |
| Goals6: | 17 |
| Years7: | 2013–2014 |
| Clubs7: | → Mirandela (loan) |
| Caps7: | 28 |
| Goals7: | 2 |
| Years8: | 2014–2015 |
| Caps8: | 29 |
| Goals8: | 7 |
| Years9: | 2015–2016 |
| Caps9: | 25 |
| Goals9: | 1 |
| Years10: | 2017–2018 |
| Caps10: | 8 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Years11: | 2018 |
| Clubs11: | → Alki Oroklini (loan) |
| Caps11: | 13 |
| Goals11: | 1 |
| Years12: | 2018–2019 |
| Caps12: | 28 |
| Goals12: | 4 |
| Years13: | 2019–2021 |
| Caps13: | 39 |
| Goals13: | 0 |
| Years14: | 2021–2022 |
| Caps14: | 20 |
| Goals14: | 0 |
| Years15: | 2022–2023 |
| Caps15: | 15 |
| Goals15: | 0 |
| Years16: | 2023 |
| Caps16: | 5 |
| Goals16: | 0 |
| Years17: | 2023– |
| Caps17: | 19 |
| Goals17: | 1 |
| Club-Update: | 16:14, 14 March 2024 (UTC) |
Rui Pedro Coimbra Chaves (born 11 September 1990), known as Ruca, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Campeonato de Portugal club São João de Ver.
Born in Tondela, Viseu District, Ruca moved to S.C. Beira-Mar's youth system at the age of 16 from local Clube de Futebol Repesenses. After winning the second-division juniors championship in 2009, he signed with Gil Vicente FC.[2]
In his first season as a senior, Ruca was loaned to hometown's C.D. Tondela. He made his competitive debut against Amarante F.C. on 30 August 2009, in a match for the Taça de Portugal. He continued to be loaned the following years, to Vilaverdense FC, Oliveira de Frades (two spells) and again Tondela.[3]
Ruca joined yet another club in the third division in the summer of 2013, SC Mirandela.[4] He had been previously deployed as a left winger or attacking midfielder, but switched to left-back at his new team.[5]
On 1 July 2014, Ruca signed for C.D. Mafra as a free agent after his contract with Gil expired.[6] Starting in all his league appearances, he contributed seven goals to help the side win the championship and subsequently promote to the Segunda Liga.[7]
Ruca agreed to a two-year deal with Vitória F.C. from the Primeira Liga, on 11 June 2015.[8] [9] He scored on his debut in the competition on 16 August, putting the hosts ahead 2–0 in an eventual 2–2 draw against Boavista FC.[10]
On 30 August 2016, Ruca was linked to Cypriot club Apollon Limassol FC, but Vitória manager José Couceiro vetoed his departure due to lack of options in his position.[11] On 30 December he left by mutual consent due to lack of playing time[12] and, two days later, returned to Tondela.[13]
Ruca continued to compete in the Portuguese second tier in the following seasons (a brief loan spell in the Cypriot First Division notwithstanding),[14] representing Mafra,[15] C.D. Feirense and F.C. Penafiel.[16] He moved abroad again in July 2022, joining PFC Beroe Stara Zagora of the First Professional Football League (Bulgaria).[17]
Ruca subsequently returned to Portugal, representing in the lower leagues Académica de Coimbra[18] and SC São João de Ver.[19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Gil Vicente | 2009–10 | Liga de Honra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tondela (loan) | 2009–10 | Segunda Divisão | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 3 | ||
| Vilaverdense (loan) | 2010–11 | AF Braga Divisão de Honra | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Oliveira Frades (loan) | 2010–11 | Terceira Divisão | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 7 | ||
| Tondela (loan) | 2011–12 | Segunda Divisão | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Oliveira Frades (loan) | 2012–13 | Terceira Divisão | 31 | 17 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 17 | ||
| Mirandela (loan) | 2013–14 | Campeonato de Portugal | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| Mafra | 2014–15 | Campeonato de Portugal | 29 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 7 | ||
| Vitória Setúbal | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |||
| Tondela | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Alki Oroklini (loan) | 2017–18 | Cypriot First Division | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Mafra | 2018–19 | LigaPro | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 4 | |
| Feirense | 2019–20 | LigaPro | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Liga Portugal 2 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |||
| Penafiel | 2021–22 | Liga Portugal 2 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Beroe | 2022–23 | First Professional Football League | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| Académica | 2022–23 | Liga 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| São João Ver | 2023–24 | Campeonato de Portugal | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Career totals | 311 | 43 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 337 | 45 | |||
Vilaverdense
2010–11[20]
Mafra