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'I estimate that the odds of us reviving our campaign are lower than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, erupting in a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion travels in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until 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 endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle 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, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers make bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 tasted victory 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 earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'