Football
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Marcelo Bielsa expected to sign Marseille sign contract extension

#INSERT type:image caption:Marseille expect Marcelo Bielsa to sign a contract extension.END#

Marseille expect Marcelo Bielsa to sign a contract extension and be the coach to take them into the 2015-16 campaign, the Ligue 1 outfit's president has claimed.

Bielsa, 59, guided OM to fourth place last season, only narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification in what was his maiden campaign in France.

The Argentine saw Marseille fans demand him to stay beyond the one-year deal he penned 12 months ago, and was told by club owner Margarita Louis-Dreyfus that he was greatly appreciated at the Stade Velodrome.

Though Bielsa's future remains uncertain for now, OM president Vincent Labrune told RMC the former Argentina and Chile boss wants to stay in charge of the former Champions League winners.

"Marcelo has a fundamental desire to stay with us. We agree on many things, many points," Labrune, 44, said. "We are really progressing well and the last remaining doubt is to carry out the things we want to do quickly, but we remain confident about the outcome of our talks, which should come at the end of next week.

"We have worked a lot and had a lot of meetings. I think the wish of Marcelo, who is a gentleman, is to stay otherwise he would not have put in so much time in the last month nor accepted to postpone his holidays."

Labrune and Bielsa appeared to get off on the wrong foot when the latter strongly and very publicly criticised his boss' dealings in last summer's transfer window, claiming he had had no say on any of the transfers and that Labrune had "broken promises" made to him regarding the club's recruitment.

The ex-Athletic Bilbao boss, however, now has significant input in the direction the club should take in the current transfer window, Labrune said.

"We have defined, in theory, the squad we want to have for next season, taking into account Marcelo's opinion," Labrune explained. "He has done tremendous work professionalising the whole club, from top to bottom. That has had an impact on the youth team's results, and he has had something to do with the fact that we have filled the stadium this season.

"I'm delighted with his work, with his serious approach and his professionalism. He loves life in Marseille and the Marseillais, the atmosphere, and there is a very good chance things will work out. Cross your fingers."

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