Jose Mourinho: Xavi deserved the Ballon d'Or... but it's hard for me to talk about him

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says Xavi Hernandez deserved to win the Ballon d'Or.

However, he also admitted he finds it hard to talk about Xavi because their relationship is broken. 

"I have known him since he was 16 or 17 years old and came to the first team," said Mourinho, who was Louis van Gaal's assistant at the time. 

"I don't know what happened, but each time they have asked him about me, it's like he doesn't know me." 

Mourinho said that "makes it difficult for me to talk about him," but added: "He's a great player, one of the best of last decade, without one of the titles he deserved the most, the Ballon d'Or."