Christian Fuchs was a well-liked figure at Leicester City, one who achieved true greatness in world football over the course of a distinguished career. The former Austria captain was a dependable and occasionally influential part of the LE2 club's resilient defensive unit during their extraordinary Premier League title triumph of the 2015/16 campaign, bringing calm and consistent quality to the left flank weekly.
Fuchs arrived at King Power Stadium from German side Schalke 04, having come of age and earned international acclaim during a fine spell at Mainz 05 where his authoritative displays caught the eye of scouts across Europe. When he put pen to paper with the Foxes, the club had only narrowly escaped relegation on the final day of the previous season, and bookmakers had priced them at 5000-1 to lift the English top flight trophy come the following spring.
Nevertheless, Fuchs and his exceptional teammates (including the tireless N’Golo Kante, creative match-winner Riyad Mahrez and record-breaking striker Jamie Vardy) defied every prediction to mount a charge that would capture the imagination of supporters worldwide. The East Midlands side never looked back, nor wavered under pressure, even as Arsenal offered the nearest title challenge; the Gunners won both league meetings between the sides, yet those results ultimately did little to halt LCFC momentum and may even have hardened their resolve to stay focused on the prize.
Fuchs departed the club in 2021, a move that prompted speculation among supporters that director of football Jon Rudkin had played a decisive role in pushing him towards the exit door rather than allowing a fitting farewell for such a popular servant. Ultimately it was a Brendan Rodgers decision; Rudkin actually provided support:
"When Brendan told me, ‘Listen, we wish you the best and thank you for your service’, Jon came to me and literally said, ‘If you want to stay in England, I have two offers (of new clubs) for you’. It was great to see that, once they decided to part ways with me, they still wanted to take care of me as a player.Back when he was an academy coach, Rudkin also helped Piper, who was struggling with addiction in the wake of an injury-enforced early retirement as a player at age 26, offering him a role in the academy which had developed him years earlier..."Fuchs/The Athletic
Many plugged-in City fans expected the former Fox to settle permanently in New York, or America in general, where he had already spent time living on and off. Though few were surprised that he would eventually seek to make his mark back in English football once again.
What's Leicester City old boy Christian Fuchs been up to?
The return came when the now-40-year-old took up a managerial role at Newport County, helping to steer the Exiles clear of danger and secure their Football League status for another season. A feat that earned him plenty of credit among those who had followed his career.
Fuchs left the Welsh club abruptly however, with the chairman later revealing Fuchs had told him he felt he had 'done all he could there'. The next chapter turned out to be one absolutely nobody saw coming: the former world-class defender traded stadiums and training grounds for village cricket pitches:
"My son forced me into it - he convinced me at some point and my wife signed me up for it. "BBC
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