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'I would say that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he states, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk travels in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He remained on the sidelines at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach 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.'

Roots and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s determination stems from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he reveals. {'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't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are yet to win in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent injury-time equaliser with 10 men garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'