A Emotional Event as Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"Rosenior represents an excellent tactician that understands football inside out, and that's the most important thing.

"However, as the Blues' first black player, it would be dishonest to claim this news does not affect me."

Those are the words expressed by the former Chelsea winger, who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench back in April 1982.

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

The French club is within the multi-club BlueCo that also owns the London club.

Statistics show a mere 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – excluding individuals in interim positions – in England's top flight since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and played not far from here, he understands this community," continued Canoville.

"When children observe a figure like Rosenior managing their club, someone who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a household that fights for what's right… it is impactful demonstrating that opportunities exist.

"So yes, this represents an enormous step for the club, for the capital, for all young person with big dreams.

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

What Does the Numbers Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became Chelsea manager in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's inaugural black manager.

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

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other present Premier League gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers throughout the English game is matched by a lack of representation in the boardroom.

As per the BFP 2023's study, forty-three percent of top-flight footballers are from black backgrounds.

However, analysis from Kick It Out revealed only 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams across most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At first-team coaching level, based on data provided by eleven clubs, the percentage is 2%.

For all coaching roles – including senior roles – from the same 11 clubs, the figure is 5%.

"He's certainly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as a Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to see more of that," said Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is loads of ability present within ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to show what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become one of only four permanent British head coaches presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's other big five divisions regarding national managers.

16 of the 20 first division coaches in Italy are Italian, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 in Germany and 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

The present Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I have no doubt all young English managers with a youth development pedigree will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating to young English academy coaches to see someone get that job with his background and we hope he does really well."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is based on talent'

Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, played for clubs such as Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint culminating in a brief stint in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he received an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating discrimination within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He began writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation among managers. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence ability and said roles should be given on merit.

He further expressed the view he has often stated: how vast under-representation leads to a failure to understand regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he understood the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from Strasbourg to Chelsea in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "ashamed" to hear a staff member utter 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, condemning his "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he 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.

The Blues had the Premier League's pioneering African heritage boss in Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in multiple executive roles, including the FA's equality board|