An Moving Occasion as Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"He is a quality tactician who understands football back to front, and that's the most important thing.

"However, as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage player, it would be dishonest if I said this appointment fails to move me."

Those are the sentiments expressed by Paul Canoville, who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their next manager after the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group which also controls Chelsea.

Statistics show only twelve black managers – excluding individuals in temporary caretaker positions – in the Premier League since its inception 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is that he was raised and developed his game not far from here, he knows the local fans," added Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters observe a figure like Rosenior in charge of their club, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a family that fights for equality… that's powerful and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is an enormous step for the club, for the capital, for all young person dreaming big.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Does the Numbers Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became the Blues' head coach back in the nineties and became the Premier League's first black head coach.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first black English boss in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current Premier League boss of colour.

The lack of managers of colour across the English game corresponds with an absence of representation in the boardroom.

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023 study, 43% of Premier League players come from black heritage.

Yet, research by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2% of board and senior leadership management teams at most Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding first-team coaching positions, according to figures from eleven clubs, the figure is two percent.

Across all coaching positions – including head coaches – from the same 11 clubs, the statistic is just five percent.

"He's certainly broken barriers in terms of his appointment as Chelsea manager, and we hope to see more of that," said Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists a wealth of ability present within black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to show what they can do. It is imperative to persist in striving to break those barriers once and for all."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become one of only four permanent British managers presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that trails Europe's remaining big five leagues in terms of homegrown managers.

16 of the 20 first division managers in Italy are from Italy, 11 in La Liga in Spain, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany and 10 of the 18 are French.

The present Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, to some degree regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It is really motivating to up-and-coming British academy coaches to see an individual land such a role with his background and everyone hopes he will be highly successful."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is due to ability'

Leroy Rosenior, Rosenior Sr., had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, the Hammers as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint at the third-tier club Brentford back in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating discrimination within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He began writing articles for The Guardian, and in one piece he addressed the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence coaching skill and said roles should be given based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: how significant lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings of players with diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, he explained the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" and "emotional", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him in moving from Strasbourg to West London in July.

In further Guardian columns, he also confessed to being "embarrassed" to hear a coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged his support for the inclusion initiative and wrote an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" following 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.

The Blues had the Premier League's pioneering black manager with Gullit as well as the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several senior positions, including the FA's equality board|