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'I would say that the chances of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He opens some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another package brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 values insights gained 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 test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive stems from his childhood 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 capable enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking 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, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint grim reading. Newport have won 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two pannas already, get in! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'