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'I reckon that the chances of us turning the season around are less than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk runs in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive originates in his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are without a victory in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not tasted victory at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, yes! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'