A Emotional Event as Rosenior Shatters Barriers

"He is a top tactician who understands the game inside out, which is the crucial factor.

"But, as the Blues' first African heritage player, I would be lying to claim this moment doesn't move me."

These were the words expressed by Paul Canoville, the man who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team as a substitute in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new head coach following the exit of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the multi-club ownership group which also owns Chelsea.

There have been a mere 12 of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – not including individuals holding temporary caretaker roles – in England's top flight since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and played not far from here, he understands the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever children observe someone like Liam managing their club, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that fights for what's right… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist.

"So yes, it is a massive step for the club, for London, for every young person dreaming big.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Do the Numbers Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became the Blues' manager in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's inaugural black head coach.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince became the first black English manager in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current top flight boss of colour.

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

According to a BFP 2023 report, 43% of Premier League footballers come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, analysis from Kick It Out found only 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

At senior coaching positions, based on data provided by eleven clubs, the percentage stands at two percent.

For all coaching positions – encompassing head coaches – from those same 11 clubs, the statistic is just 5%.

"He's certainly made history in terms of his appointment as a Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," said Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists loads of talent that exists within black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches desire the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities. We need to persist in striving to break those obstacles down."

Additionally, Rosenior is set to become one of only four full-time English managers currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining big five divisions regarding homegrown managers.

16 out of twenty top-flight managers in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 in Germany and 10 of the 18 are French.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all young English coaches from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It is really inspirational to up-and-coming British coaches in the system to witness someone land that job with that profile and everyone hopes he will be highly successful."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a five-month spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford back in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded an MBE in that year's Honours List for his services to tackling discrimination in football and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued his father's footsteps. He began penning articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not determine ability and said roles should be given on merit.

He also made a point he has often stated: that significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" or "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to West London in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" to hear a coach utter a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "blatant" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their collaboration at Derby County.

Rosenior said goodbye to his former club on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract at Chelsea.

The Blues had the top flight's pioneering black manager with Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several executive roles, including the Football Association's equality board|