An Emotional Moment when Liam Rosenior Overcomes Obstacles

"He is an excellent tactician who knows football back to front, and that's what matters most.

"However, as the Blues' first African heritage player, I would be lying to claim this appointment fails to move me."

Those are the words expressed by Paul Canoville, the man who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team off the bench back in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea appointed RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new manager after the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also controls Chelsea.

There have been only 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including those holding temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since its inception 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me about Liam is that he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he understands this area," added Canoville.

"When youngsters see someone like Liam managing the team they support, someone who looks like them, from a similar background, from a household that fights for what's right… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist.

"So yes, this represents a massive moment for the club, for London, for all young person with big dreams.

"However, currently? Let's back Liam, give him what he needs, and let the man get on with the job."

What Does the Data Show?

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

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering black English manager in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional present top flight boss from a minority ethnic background.

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

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's study, forty-three percent of top-flight footballers come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, analysis by Kick It Out revealed just 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding first-team coaching positions, based on figures from eleven clubs, the percentage stands at 2%.

For all coaching roles – encompassing head coaches – from the same eleven clubs, the statistic is five percent.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as the Chelsea head coach, and we hope to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is loads of ability present in the black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to show their capabilities. We need to persist in striving to break those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become the fourth permanent English managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails Europe's remaining major leagues in terms of national managers.

16 of the 20 top-flight managers in Italy are Italian, 11 of the 20 are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga are German while 10 of the 18 are French.

Current Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, in some way no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It's really inspirational for young English academy coaches to see an individual get that job with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is on merit'

Leroy Rosenior, Rosenior Sr., played for clubs such as Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a brief stint at then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he received an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating inequality within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued his father's footsteps. He began writing a column for The Guardian, and in one piece he acknowledged the lack of diversity among managers. He pointed out that race does not determine ability arguing that roles must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed a point he has often stated: how vast lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings of players with diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea in July.

In subsequent newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member make a discriminatory remark. He pledged support for the Premier League's inclusion initiative and authored an open letter to Donald Trump while he was in office, accusing him of "overt" racism.

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

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal with the Blues.

Chelsea had the Premier League's first black manager with Gullit and the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott later held multiple executive roles, including the FA's equality board|