A Emotional Event as Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"He is a quality manager who understands football back to front, which is the crucial factor.

"However, as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage player, it would be dishonest to claim this appointment does not affect me."

These were the words expressed by Paul Canoville, who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench back in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club appointed Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, 41, as their next manager after the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the multi-club BlueCo that also owns Chelsea.

Statistics show just twelve black managers – excluding individuals holding interim roles – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is that he was raised and played not far from here, he understands this community," added Canoville.

"When kids observe a figure like Rosenior in charge of their club, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a household that champions equality… it is impactful and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents a huge step for Chelsea, for London, for every aspiring individual with big dreams.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, provide him with the necessary tools, and let the man do his work."

What Do the Numbers Indicate?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the top flight's first black manager.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering English black manager in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current top flight gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The shortage of ethnic minority managers throughout English football corresponds with a lack of diversity in the boardroom.

As per a BFP 2023's report, 43% of Premier League footballers are from black backgrounds.

Yet, analysis by the equality organization found just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At senior coaching positions, based on figures from eleven clubs, the figure is two percent.

Across all coaching positions – including head coaches – from the same 11 clubs, the figure is five percent.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers in terms of his appointment as a the Chelsea manager, and we hope to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is a wealth of ability that exists in the black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become one of only four permanent English managers presently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that trails Europe's remaining big five divisions regarding national managers.

Sixteen of the 20 top-flight coaches in Italy are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany while 10 of the 18 in France.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches from an academy background will be, to some degree regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It is really inspirational for up-and-coming British coaches in the system to see someone land that job with his background and everyone hopes he will be really well."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is on merit'

Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, played for the likes of Fulham, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a brief spell at the third-tier club Brentford FC back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's Honours List for services rendered in combating discrimination within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued his father's footsteps. He started writing a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not influence coaching skill arguing that roles must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he has often stated: how significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "emotional", noting that he could relate to the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him with a move from France to West London this summer.

In further Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted to being "ashamed" to hear an unnamed coach make a discriminatory remark. He pledged support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

Rosenior said his farewells to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Blues.

The Blues boasted the top flight's first black boss with Gullit as well as the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in several executive roles, among them the Football Association's equality board|