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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. '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 pleasant.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired 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 light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more 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 decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation stems 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present grim reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are winless in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not secured three points at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – 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 striving towards this collectively.'