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'I estimate that the chances of us reviving our campaign are lower than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, 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 miraculous title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be achievable,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse flows in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He looks at some post on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the midst 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 experienced in the game, 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 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ 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 similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his early years 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that defeat 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't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven 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 opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he explains, noting 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 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it 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 tasted victory 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'