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On this day in sport: 'The Special One' arrives, Blatter departs and Schumacher gets off the mark

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as Chelsea boss on this day in 2004, while June 2 also saw one of the finest displays of Michael Schumacher's Formula One career.

By Patric Ridge
Jose Mourinho was unveiled as Chelsea boss on this day in 2004

London, June 2: Jose Mourinho knows how to make a grand entrance and he proved that at his unveiling as Chelsea manager.

Though June 2 is the date 'The Special One' first arrived on the scene in the Premier League, it was also a day that saw a significant change at FIFA.

Meanwhile, in motorsport, Formula One icon Michael Schumacher got off the mark for Ferrari.

We take a look at the major sporting events to have happened on this day through the years.

2004 – The Special One lands in London

Having won the Champions League with Porto, Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea with the reputation as one of the world's best up-and-coming coaches.

And - as a sign of what was to come - the Portuguese wasted little time in creating the headlines, declaring himself 'The Special One' during his unveiling as the Blues' new boss.

"We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager. Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one."

He was proved right, his Chelsea side going on to win the Premier League with a then-record 95 points in his first season, also winning a record number of matches (29) during the campaign.

2015 – Blatter's reign comes to an end

A matter of days after he had been re-elected, Sepp Blatter stepped down as the president of FIFA on June 2, 2015.

Blatter's resignation came amid a huge corruption scandal, with the U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch having announced an investigation into FIFA the previous week.

The Swiss was ultimately cleared of corruption charges, though he was banned from FIFA for eight years for a "disloyal payment" of two million Swiss francs to the then-UEFA president Michel Platini.

He appealed in 2016, managing to get the ban reduced to six years from the initial eight.

1996 – Schumacher clicks into gear for Ferrari

On June 2, 1996, Michael Schumacher put in what is widely considered to be one of the finest performances of his career.

Having to recover from a poor start in adverse weather, Schumacher took the lead in lap 13, going on to dominate the race and win for the first time in a Ferrari.

The German ultimately finished over three seconds a lap faster than the remainder of the field. However, it would be another four years until he claimed his first F1 Championship crown in a Ferrari seat.

1935 – Baseball legend Babe Ruth calls it a day

An iconic figure of American sports, one of baseball's all-time greats - Babe Ruth - retired on this day 85 years ago.

However, his incredible career ended on something of a sour note.

Having signed for the Boston Braves from the New York Yankees, in a role that would also see him serve as the vice-president and assistant manager, Ruth announced his retirement midway through the season.

His reason was a disagreement with Braves owner Judge Emil Fuchs, with Ruth saying: "Judge Fuchs is a double-crosser. His word is no good. He doesn't keep his promises. I don't want another damn thing from him—the dirty double-crosser."

Story first published: Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 12:16 [IST]
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