Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa said Wednesday the club's owner Margarita Louis-Dreyfus had asked him to continue in his job next season.

"She told me she wants me to carry on next season. More importantly for me she praised my personal qualities and the way I lead the squad," said the Argentine, who can activate a get out clause at the end of his first season with Marseille.

The club went into the winter break as Ligue 1 leaders, but after a loss at Bordeaux last weekend dropped to fourth, five points off leaders Paris Saint-Germain, but only one point off Monaco in the third Champions League place.

"We coaches know and understand that when we fail to achieve our objectives there is a price to pay."

Bielsa's publicly stated objective at the start of the season was for Marseille to make the Champions League.

"I shall try and live up to Margarita Louis-Dreyfus's high praise, I would dearly love to finish the season second or third," he said.

Known as 'el loco' (the Madman) because of his high-tension push-it-to-the-limit methods, Bielsa confirmed that while he had received the owner's backing, he had not been handed a fresh offer.

"Asking me not to leave is not the same as offering me a new contract," he pointed out.

The manager then praised his team describing them as the team of the season so far.

"I shouldn't say this, but if the championship ended today the best team would be Marseille. We played the best football."

Marseille go to Nantes on Friday with six league games remaining.