An Emotional Occasion when Rosenior Shatters Obstacles

"He is a top coach that knows football back to front, and that's the crucial factor.

"But, as the Blues' first black footballer, it would be dishonest if I said this moment fails to move me."

These were the sentiments of Paul Canoville, who earned his historic debut for the Blues' first team as a substitute back in the spring of 1982.

This week, Chelsea hired RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their new manager after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the multi-club BlueCo which also controls Chelsea.

Statistics show only 12 of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – excluding those in interim roles – in the Premier League since it began thirty-four in the past.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and developed his game locally, he knows this area," added Canoville.

"When children observe someone like Liam in charge of their club, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for equality… it is powerful demonstrating the path is there.

"So yes, this represents an enormous step for the club, for London, for every young person dreaming big.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him the necessary tools, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Exactly Does the Numbers Indicate?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's first African heritage manager.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering black English manager in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional current Premier League boss of colour.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers across the English game is matched by an absence of diversity at executive level.

As per a Black Footballers Partnership 2023 study, forty-three percent of Premier League players come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, research from the equality organization revealed just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At senior coaching level, according to figures provided by 11 clubs, the percentage stands at two percent.

Across all coaching positions – including senior roles – from those same eleven clubs, the figure is 5%.

"He has undoubtedly made history in terms of his appointment as the Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is a wealth of ability present within ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches desire a chance to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become one of only four full-time English managers currently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's other major leagues in terms of homegrown managers.

16 out of twenty first division managers in Serie A are Italian, 11 of the 20 are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga are German while Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt all aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, to some degree regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It's truly motivating for young English academy coaches to see an individual get such a role with that profile and we hope he does highly successful."

It is vital to remember – he's there due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., played for the likes of West London clubs, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint peaked with a brief stint in charge of then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating discrimination within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued his father's footsteps. He began penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not influence coaching skill arguing that roles must be awarded on merit.

He also made a point he would repeat: how significant lack of diversity results in misunderstandings regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "passionate", but said he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to join him in moving from France to Chelsea this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "ashamed" to hear a staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the Premier League's inclusion initiative and authored a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week he was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal at Chelsea.

Chelsea boasted the top flight's pioneering African heritage manager with Gullit as well as the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since held several senior positions, including the FA's diversity and inclusion board|