Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Nicolas Nkoulou urges Marcelo Bielsa to stay at Marseille

Marseille defender Nicolas Nkoulou has urged Marcelo Bielsa to stay and take the Ligue 1 club into next season.

Bielsa, 59, is out of contract at OM, whom he joined on a one-year deal last summer, and despite missing out on Champions League qualification with a fourth-placed finish, the club's demanding fans have made impassioned pleas for the enigmatic coach to stay on.

Nkoulou, 25, told Canal+ that Bielsa's work last season, during which OM were top of the table at the halfway stage before dropping away in the second half of the campaign, means he wants to see the coach remain in the dug-out.

"I think he should stay because in a year, he has been able to revolutionise the club. For me, Marseille needs a coach like that to become a great institution," the Cameroon international centre-back said.

"Personally, I have enjoyed working with him. He has given me a lot this season. I was able to get back to the level that I had and which made me known. He's a coach with really great abilities."

Further clouding the situation, the Mirror reported on Tuesday that Bielsa had rejected interest from Serie A side Sampdoria, and was keen to succeed Sam Allardyce at West Ham United.

Nkoulou's future is just as uncertain as his boss'. The former Monaco man, who missed three months of last season with a knee injury, has only a year left on his contract, and he is open to a move away from the Ligue 1 outfit even if he is equally happy to stay.

"For me, it's 'Sign an extension or leave'. I am a new player and I'm ready to start again, whether it be at OM or another club. It's difficult to talk about it right now. My season isn't finished. It's important for me to stay focussed and finish well," said Nkoulou, who will feature for his country in next month's 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

"I'm under contract with OM, I am committed every day. I have had an injury. Fortunately for me, I have come back well, and I'm ready to go off again with OM or another team."

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