An Moving Moment as Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"Liam Rosenior is a quality tactician who knows football intimately, which is the crucial factor.

"But, in my role as the Blues' pioneering black player, it would be dishonest if I said this appointment does not affect me."

These were the words expressed by Paul Canoville, who made his historic debut for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in April 1982.

This week, the club named RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new manager following the exit of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within a multi-club BlueCo which also controls the London club.

There have been a mere 12 black head coaches – excluding those holding temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is that he was raised and played locally, he knows the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters see someone like Liam managing their club, someone who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a family that champions equality… that's powerful and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, this represents an enormous moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for every young person dreaming big.

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

What Exactly Does the Numbers Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became the Blues' head coach in 1996 and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage manager.

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

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the sole additional present top flight boss of colour.

The lack of managers of colour throughout English football corresponds with a lack of representation at executive level.

As per a BFP 2023's study, 43% of top-flight players come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, research by Kick It Out found only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

At senior coaching level, according to data from eleven clubs, the figure is two percent.

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

"He's certainly made history by virtue of him being announced as a Chelsea manager, and we want to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of ability that exists within black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches desire the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to continue to work hard to break those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become the fourth full-time British managers currently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's remaining big five leagues in terms of homegrown managers.

16 of the 20 top-flight managers in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 are German while Ten in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches with a youth development pedigree are, in some way no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's really motivating for up-and-coming British academy coaches to see an individual get such a role with that profile and everyone hopes he will be really well."

'Let's not forget – he's there due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for the likes of West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint peaked with a brief spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating discrimination in football and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued a path in management. He started penning a column for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not influence coaching skill arguing that roles should be given based on qualification.

He also made the view he has often stated: how significant lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings of players from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "emotional", noting that he understood the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from France to Chelsea this summer.

In subsequent Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted he was "embarrassed" upon hearing a coach make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the inclusion campaign and authored a public message to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "overt" racism.

He has subsequently built his reputation in the dugout – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" following their time together at Derby County.

The manager bid his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal with the Blues.

Chelsea had the Premier League's first black boss with Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in multiple senior positions, among them the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|