Mourinho: Ballon d'Or is bad for football

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Jose Mourinho has branded Fifa's Ballon d'Or as "bad for football" as he thinks it highlights individualism rather than working for a team - which is not an ethic he wants at Chelsea.

Uefa president Michel Platini proclaimed in midweek that a Germany player - not favourite Cristiano Ronaldo - deserves to win 2014's Ballon d'Or due to the nation's World Cup win in the summer.

On Friday, Real Madrid issued an embittered criticism of Platini's remarks, stating that they clearly felt their top goalscorer and global icon Ronaldo was the most deserving of the accolade, while coach Carlo Ancelotti also condemned the Frenchman for airing his views.

These sort of public spats are exactly what Chelsea want to avoid, according to Mourinho, who does not believe the obsession that clubs and players have over the Ballon d'Or is healthy or beneficial.

"This kind of trophy, the Ballon d'Or, is not good for football," the former Real Madrid and Inter boss told reporters. "This is why I don't care about it.

"Sometimes it looks like we are looking for stars, we are looking for some people to be more important than others. And this is not the culture we want in this club.

"I don't care about it. But it's there. It's there as a consequence of the good work the team is doing. And, if they feel that, okay. It's good for them.

"But the mentality here is not to be worried about that. Even less being obsessed with that.

"When I see these two names, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard, I think clearly they don't think about it. They think about the team, about playing well and trying to win matches."

Mourinho won Fifa's Coach of the Year award - which is handed out in the same ceremony as the Ballon d'Or - in 2010 after guiding Inter to treble glory and has since come second and third.

The Portuguese manager is currently in the midst of his second stint at Chelsea, after leaving Madrid in 2013.

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