A Moving Event as Rosenior Overcomes Obstacles

"He is an excellent coach who understands football inside out, which is the most important thing.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering black player, I would be lying if I said this news fails to move me."

These were the words of Paul Canoville, who earned his historic first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club named RC Strasbourg boss Rosenior, 41, to be their new head coach after the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of a multi-club ownership group which also controls the London club.

There have been a mere twelve black head coaches – excluding those in temporary caretaker roles – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and played locally, he understands this community," continued Canoville.

"Whenever kids see a figure like Rosenior in charge of their club, a person who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a family that champions what's right… it is powerful demonstrating that opportunities exist.

"So yes, this represents an enormous moment for the club, for the capital, for every aspiring individual dreaming big.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and let the man get on with the job."

What Does the Data Show?

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

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering English black boss in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other present top flight boss from a minority ethnic background.

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

As per the BFP 2023's report, forty-three percent of top-flight players are from black heritage.

However, analysis by Kick It Out found only 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams at most Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding senior coaching level, based on figures from eleven clubs, the figure is 2%.

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

"He's certainly made history in terms of his appointment as a the Chelsea head coach, and we want to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is loads of ability that exists within black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches desire the opportunity to show their capabilities. It is imperative to continue to work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become one of only four permanent English head coaches currently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's remaining major leagues in terms of national representation.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Serie A are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, Twelve of the 18 in Germany while 10 in Ligue 1 in France.

The present Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt all young English managers from an academy background are, in some way regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It's really inspirational for young English coaches in the system to see an individual land that job with his background and everyone hopes he does really well."

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

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint peaked with a brief spell in charge of then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling inequality within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued a path in management. He started writing articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine ability and said roles should be given on merit.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: how vast under-representation results in misunderstandings of players from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands player with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed to being "ashamed" to hear an unnamed staff member make a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the Rainbow Laces initiative and authored a public message to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, accusing him of "blatant" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal at Chelsea.

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

Elliott has since held multiple executive roles, among them the FA's equality board|