An Moving Moment when Rosenior Shatters Obstacles

"He is a top manager that knows the game inside out, which is what matters most.

"But, as the Blues' pioneering African heritage footballer, it would be dishonest to claim this moment fails to move me."

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

This week, the club appointed RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their new head coach following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also owns Chelsea.

Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – not including those holding temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four in the past.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is that he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he knows this community," added Canoville.

"When children see someone like Liam managing the team they support, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a family that champions what's right… that's impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"So yes, it is a massive step for Chelsea, for the capital, for all young person dreaming big.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with the necessary tools, and let the man get on with the job."

What Do the Numbers Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's inaugural black head coach.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering black English manager in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional current top flight gaffer of colour.

The shortage of ethnic minority managers throughout English football is matched by a lack of representation at executive level.

According to the BFP 2023 study, 43% of Premier League players come from African or Caribbean heritage.

However, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

At senior coaching level, based on figures provided by eleven clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

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

"He's certainly broken barriers in terms of him being announced as Chelsea head coach, and we want to witness more such appointments," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is loads of talent that exists within ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to continue to striving to dismantle those barriers down."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become the fourth permanent British managers presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which lags behind Europe's other big five leagues in terms of homegrown managers.

16 out of twenty first division coaches in Serie A are Italian, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German and 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British managers with a youth development pedigree will be, in some way regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It is really inspirational for young English coaches in the system to witness someone land such a role with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful."

'Let's not forget – he's there based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as Fulham, the Hammers as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint culminating in a brief spell in charge of then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating discrimination within the sport and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he pursued a path in management. He started writing a column for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence coaching skill and said opportunities should be given based on qualification.

He also made the view he would repeat: that vast under-representation leads to misunderstandings of players from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to West London this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "embarrassed" to hear an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged his support for the Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "blatant" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract with the Blues.

Chelsea had the top flight's first black boss in Gullit as well as the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since held several executive roles, including the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|