With Christmas fast approaching and 2016 almost over, you'd be forgiven for thinking about new beginnings.

Rangers' recruitment chief Frank McParland may fall into that category with Birmingham City keen to place him alongside fellow pint-sized figure Gianfranco Zola.

Will the lure of the city's spaghetti junction prove too much or will the challenge of finding the next Philippe Senderos be enough to keep him in Glasgow?

We miss the madcap antics of Louis van Gaal at Football Talk Towers so speculation he may be about to replace Unai Emery at PSG made us feel all warm and festive inside.

Not content with upsetting the country football's apple cart by playing with a laptop, Hearts' new head coach is now trying find a solution to the Scottish game's chaos theory after watching his team struggle at home to Partick Thistle.

Manchester City bravely began life without Ilkay Gundogan but not without a bizarre T-shirt tribute ahead of their win over Man City.

And Lionel Messi produced some more magical moments as Barcelona beat Espanyol.

Another one for the highlights reel

Embrace the Zlatan, Jesse

Well that's certainly a new party trick

He's injured not dead lads

Glad to hear it Ilkay

Timely

Glass half full

Glass half empty

Dries Mertens was on fire for Napoli against Torino