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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to take on 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 a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt 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.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ 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 comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s determination stems from his childhood 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 good enough,' he shares. {'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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, 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 boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 secured three points 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 power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this as one.'