An Emotional Occasion when Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"He is a top tactician that understands football inside out, and that's what matters most.

"But, as Chelsea's first black player, it would be dishonest to claim this appointment does not affect me."

These were the sentiments of Paul Canoville, the man who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for Chelsea's senior side off the bench in April 1982.

This week, Chelsea named RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, as their new manager after the exit of Enzo Maresca.

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

There have been just twelve black managers – excluding those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four in the past.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he was raised and developed his game locally, he understands the local fans," added Canoville.

"Whenever kids observe a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, someone who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a family that fights for equality… that's profound demonstrating that opportunities exist.

"So yes, this represents a huge moment for the club, for London, for all aspiring individual with big dreams.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with the necessary tools, and allow him to do his work."

What Does the Numbers Reveal?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became the Blues' head coach back in the nineties and became the top flight's first African heritage head coach.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first English black manager in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the sole additional current Premier League gaffer of colour.

The shortage of ethnic minority managers across the English game is matched by a lack of representation at executive level.

As per the BFP 2023's study, 43% of top-flight players come from black backgrounds.

However, analysis by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2% of board and senior leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

At first-team coaching level, based on figures from 11 clubs, the figure is two percent.

Across all coaching positions – encompassing senior roles – from those same eleven clubs, the figure is five percent.

"He has undoubtedly made history in terms of him being announced as the Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we hope to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is a wealth of talent that exists in the ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches desire a chance to show their capabilities. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become the fourth permanent English head coaches presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which lags behind Europe's remaining big five leagues regarding national representation.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight coaches in Italy are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga are German and Ten of the 18 are French.

The present Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all young English coaches with a youth development pedigree are, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating to young English coaches in the system to witness an individual get that job with his background and we hope he will be highly successful."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is on merit'

Leroy Rosenior, Rosenior Sr., had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a five-month spell at the third-tier club Brentford in 2006.

In 2019, he received an MBE in the Honours List for his services to tackling inequality in football and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he followed a path in management. He began writing articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not determine coaching skill and said opportunities must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed the view he has often stated: that significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, he explained the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "emotional", noting that he understood the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from France to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed to being "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed coach utter a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the inclusion initiative and authored an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" racism.

He has subsequently made his name as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their time together at Derby County.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal with the Blues.

The Blues boasted the top flight's pioneering African heritage boss in Gullit as well as the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since held several senior positions, including the FA's diversity and inclusion board|