🔗 Share this article A Historic Moment as Liam Rosenior Breaks Obstacles 'It's a crucial event which honors a black, young British head coach.' "Rosenior represents a top tactician that understands the game intimately, which is the crucial factor. "However, in my role as the Blues' first African heritage footballer, 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 Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in the spring of 1982. On Tuesday, the club appointed Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, 41, as their new head coach after the exit of Enzo Maresca. Strasbourg are within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also controls Chelsea. Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including those holding temporary caretaker positions – in the Premier League since it began thirty-four years ago. "One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and played locally, he knows the local fans," added Canoville. "When children see a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for equality… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist. "Indeed, it is a massive step for Chelsea, for London, for every young person 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' manager in 1996 and became the Premier League's first black head coach. Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince became the first black English boss in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers. The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current Premier League boss of colour. The scarcity of managers of colour throughout English football corresponds with a lack of representation at executive level. As per the BFP 2023's study, 43% of Premier League footballers come from black backgrounds. However, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Regarding first-team coaching positions, according to data from eleven clubs, the figure is two percent. Across all coaching roles – including senior roles – from the same 11 clubs, the statistic is five percent. "He has undoubtedly broken barriers in terms of him being announced as the Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor. "We know there is loads of ability present within black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches desire a chance to show their capabilities. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers down." Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become one of only four permanent British head coaches presently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's other big five leagues regarding homegrown managers. Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German while 10 of the 18 are French. Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam. "It's really motivating for young English academy coaches to witness an individual get such a role with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful." Liam Rosenior becomes the London club's second-ever African heritage manager following in the footsteps of Ruud Gullit. It is vital to remember – his appointment is based on talent' Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, had a career with the likes of West London clubs, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006. In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating inequality within the sport and beyond. When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he followed a path in management. He started penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not influence ability and said opportunities should be given based on qualification. He further expressed a point he would repeat: how vast lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings regarding footballers with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" or "emotional", noting that he understood the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to join him in moving from Strasbourg to West London this summer. In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" racism. Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration at Derby County. The manager bid goodbye to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Blues. The Blues had the Premier League's first black boss in Gullit and the first black skipper in Paul Elliott. Elliott has since worked in multiple senior positions, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|
'It's a crucial event which honors a black, young British head coach.' "Rosenior represents a top tactician that understands the game intimately, which is the crucial factor. "However, in my role as the Blues' first African heritage footballer, 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 Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in the spring of 1982. On Tuesday, the club appointed Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, 41, as their new head coach after the exit of Enzo Maresca. Strasbourg are within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also controls Chelsea. Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including those holding temporary caretaker positions – in the Premier League since it began thirty-four years ago. "One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and played locally, he knows the local fans," added Canoville. "When children see a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for equality… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist. "Indeed, it is a massive step for Chelsea, for London, for every young person 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' manager in 1996 and became the Premier League's first black head coach. Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince became the first black English boss in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers. The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current Premier League boss of colour. The scarcity of managers of colour throughout English football corresponds with a lack of representation at executive level. As per the BFP 2023's study, 43% of Premier League footballers come from black backgrounds. However, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Regarding first-team coaching positions, according to data from eleven clubs, the figure is two percent. Across all coaching roles – including senior roles – from the same 11 clubs, the statistic is five percent. "He has undoubtedly broken barriers in terms of him being announced as the Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor. "We know there is loads of ability present within black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches desire a chance to show their capabilities. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers down." Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become one of only four permanent British head coaches presently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's other big five leagues regarding homegrown managers. Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German while 10 of the 18 are French. Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam. "It's really motivating for young English academy coaches to witness an individual get such a role with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful." Liam Rosenior becomes the London club's second-ever African heritage manager following in the footsteps of Ruud Gullit. It is vital to remember – his appointment is based on talent' Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, had a career with the likes of West London clubs, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006. In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating inequality within the sport and beyond. When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he followed a path in management. He started penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not influence ability and said opportunities should be given based on qualification. He further expressed a point he would repeat: how vast lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings regarding footballers with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" or "emotional", noting that he understood the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to join him in moving from Strasbourg to West London this summer. In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" racism. Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration at Derby County. The manager bid goodbye to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Blues. The Blues had the Premier League's first black boss in Gullit and the first black skipper in Paul Elliott. Elliott has since worked in multiple senior positions, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|