Antonio Colak tells Rangers 'I still love you' as emotional striker reveals how devastating exit really happened
Antonio Colak enjoys his life in La Spezia, a stunning seaside resort in southern Italy.
On the Ligurian sea, he’s situated roughly between the historical cities of Genoa and Pisa. But Colak's heart is still in Glasgow. It’s been a year and a half now since he left Rangers. In his one season at Ibrox, he was the club’s top scorer having bagged 18 goals.
His start was blistering. In his first nine league games for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, he hit TEN. On top of that, he notched home and away against PSV in the Champions League play-off, including a winner in Eindhoven that put Rangers back among Europe’s elite. At that point, life couldn’t get any better for the big Croat, who was signed from Greek side PAOK. But incredibly, by the end of that 2022/23 campaign Colak knew his time at Rangers was up.
Under a new gaffer, Michael Beale, he was finished at the club. Deemed surplus to requirements, as the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Danilo were bought to replace him. Colak was devastated to leave Ibrox.
Not only had he found a new home in Scotland - he’d caught the Rangers bug. He felt like he was born to score goals for the club. And that’s why it still rankles with him now. At his home in Italy, he watches every Rangers game on TV. And at 31, he believes he could still have been hitting the back of the net in a blue shirt even now. And he showed his love hasn't wavered during a viral clip which emerged on Saturday as he gifted travelling fans his matchday strip.
In an exclusive interview with Record Sport , Colak said: “For me, I tell you honestly, I love Rangers. I follow every match because I got affected by that club and their fans. I had a successful period there, personally. But unfortunately, circumstances meant I had to leave. I wish I had a longer time at Rangers. Somehow, I just had a feeling that I fitted into that club and that environment.
“It’s a special, unique club. It’s a way of life. Not every player can stand the pressure or expectation there. But I immediately felt welcomed there. Why did I feel that way? It’s a difficult question to answer. It suits some players and others, maybe not. It’s about the fans, the history, everything. Immediately, it became a love for me, not a pressure. It gave me motivation and ambition.
“In the summer of 2023, I knew I had to leave. On our pre-season trip to Germany, I could see right away how things were going. I could see the position I was in. Where I was in the rankings of the players. So I knew I’d have to go.
“It was a sad situation for me, especially with what I’d achieved the year before. I’ll never forget the moment Rangers made a highlights video of me to say goodbye. It was really emotional for me.
“I was frustrated because I knew I could do the job of scoring goals at Rangers. I felt it when I arrived. I was the Croatian number nine, after Dado Prso and Nikica Jelavic - it was meant to be for me. That’s how I felt. I signed a contract for three years and felt sure I’d be there for that time. I didn’t want to go.
“I’m not an angry person, I try to see everything in a positive way. I had to make the best out of the situation. I didn’t change. I’m the same guy, same player now. You can only influence things in your control.
“Other things, you can’t influence, so you have to move on. When I look back at my career, nothing compares to Rangers. They stand out as the biggest club. Of course, I wish I could have won trophies there - that was the only thing missing. Bu they’re my number one club. When I watch the games now, I still think - that could be me. Could I still have been scoring goals there? Yes, I think I could.”
Colak had a terrific relationship with van Bronckhorst who led Rangers to the Europa League Final in 2022. But he says things changed at the club under Beale, on and off the pitch.
He’s not bitter about his Ibrox exit. He’s just irked that his Gers experience went downhill so rapidly. Colak said: “Initially, I wasn’t worried about my place when Beale came in because I’m always a positive, optimistic person.
“I like to think I’m a player who can adapt to any coach. When a new one comes in, you look forward to working with him. But of course, some players had an advantage because they had worked with him already. I was a bit unlucky with injuries but I didn’t get the game time I wanted.
“Yet I still finished the season as top scorer for the team so I was really happy with that. Beale changed a lot. He had his way of working. As a person, he had his way of presenting to the team and on the training pitch. Also, the training was different. So it was totally different to Giovanni, in terms of how they both saw football.
“When he came in, a lot changed for the locker room and for the whole club I think. Even regarding sporting decisions and other things, everything changed. What Gio had achieved at Rangers in his time there was incredible.
“He won the Scottish Cup, reached the Europa final and brought Champions League football back to Ibrox. So you can see that he’s a fantastic coach. Was it right or wrong to let him go? It’s hard for me to say, that’s always the club’s decision.”
