Christian Fuchs says Leicester group chat ‘exploded’ when he took Newport helm

Phil Blanche, PA

Premier League winner Christian Fuchs says Leicester’s WhatsApp champions group “exploded” after the Austrian became manager of the EFL’s bottom club Newport.

Fuchs has swapped “beautiful” Charlotte in North Carolina and the MLS – where two months ago he was part of a coaching group getting the better of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami – for a Welsh winter and the scrap to survive.

It is a decision that has brought bewilderment from former team-mates, including Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel, who were responsible for arguably football’s greatest fairy tale when Leicester won the Premier League in 2016.

“I like the challenge,” said former full-back Fuchs after taking charge of a team propping up League Two and five points from safety.

“We still have that (Leicester) group chat. It’s the only one I still have with the team I was on.

“Most of them have been in touch. When you come back again, they feel like you’re more touchable.

“The messages just exploded, ‘what have you done?’. No, it’s really positive. There’s a lot of support from everywhere.”

Fuchs has never fitted the image of a stereotypical footballer, so it is perhaps no surprise his career has led him to a club where the average home attendance is under 4,500.

The 39-year-old became the first Premier League footballer to launch his own esports academy under his successful ‘No Fuchs Given’ brand.

Fuchs’ YouTube videos based on a series of challenges became an internet sensation, but he says his dream is to be a Premier League manager.

“Charlotte is beautiful,” said Fuchs, who assisted former Brentford, Aston Villa and Leicester boss Dean Smith at the young franchise and helped them into the MLS play-offs in the last two seasons.

“It can be scorching in the summer. The lifestyle is really top. But my goal since I started in Charlotte was to be a head coach.

“Eventually I want to be a head coach in the Premier League, and being here and learning that role helps me a lot. I want to make the club better on every possible level.”

Survival

Fuchs took charge for the first time on Saturday as Newport suffered a fourth successive defeat at Oldham.

Former Swansea owner Huw Jenkins has claimed the squad is in better shape than when he arrived at Rodney Parade almost two years ago.

But Fuchs’ predecessor, the former Manchester United coach David Hughes lasted just six months, and Newport have won only three of their 17 league games.

“The odds of achieving that (survival) are a little bit better this time around,” said Fuchs, referring to the 5,000-1 price Leicester were to win the title at the start of the 2015-16 season.

“But it definitely made me a believer that you can achieve anything you want, as long as you put your head to it.”