A Moving Moment when Rosenior Overcomes Obstacles

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

"But, in my role as the Blues' first black footballer, I would be lying to claim this appointment fails to move me."

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

This week, Chelsea hired Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their new manager following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also owns the London club.

There have been only twelve black head coaches – not including those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he understands the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever kids see a figure like Rosenior managing their club, a person they can identify with, from a similar background, from a household that champions what's right… it is profound demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, it is an enormous moment for Chelsea, for London, for every aspiring individual dreaming big.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him the necessary tools, and let the man do his work."

What Does the Data Indicate?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea manager back in the nineties and became the top flight's first African heritage manager.

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

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

The shortage of managers of colour across the English game is matched by an absence of representation in the boardroom.

As per a BFP 2023's study, 43% of top-flight footballers come from black backgrounds.

Yet, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2% of board and senior leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic communities.

At senior coaching level, based on figures from 11 clubs, the percentage stands at two percent.

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

"He's certainly broken barriers by virtue of him being announced as a the Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," said Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of talent that exists within ethnic minority communities... they desire the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to continue to striving to break those obstacles down."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth full-time British managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which trails Europe's other major divisions regarding homegrown representation.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight coaches in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 in Germany while 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I have no doubt every aspiring British coaches from an academy background will be, in some way regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly inspirational for young English coaches in the system to witness someone get that job with his background and we hope he does really well."

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

Leroy Rosenior, Rosenior Sr., played for the likes of Fulham, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a five-month spell at then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Honours List for services rendered to tackling inequality within the sport and beyond.

After Liam retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He started penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity among managers. He highlighted that race does not determine ability and said roles must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he has often stated: how significant under-representation results in a failure to understand regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "emotional", noting that he could relate to the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "ashamed" upon hearing a coach make a discriminatory remark. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and wrote an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "blatant" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation in the dugout – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration at Derby County.

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal at Chelsea.

Chelsea had the top flight's pioneering black manager in Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

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