Serie B Outfit Spezia Announce Former Glasgow Rangers Striker

Spezia have secured the signing of Croatian striker Antonio Čolak on a permanent basis from Parma.

The 30-year-old forward, born in 1993, will join the Ligurian side, donning the number 17 shirt and committing to the Eagles until 30 June 2026.

“Spezia Calcio announces that it has definitively acquired the sporting performances of the footballer Antonio Čolak from Parma Calcio 1913, who has signed a contract with the Melara club until 30 June 2026,” they wrote on their official site.

Čolak has built an impressive career across Europe, having played for several top-league teams. After developing in Germany with Hoffenheim and gaining experience with clubs such as Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern, Darmstadt, and Ingolstadt, Čolak made a name for himself at Rijeka. During his time in Croatia, he made 91 appearances, scoring 51 goals and providing 15 assists, and was crowned Croatian champion in 2021, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 20 goals.

Following a brief period at PAOK, Čolak continued his goal-scoring form with Malmö and Glasgow Rangers, where he netted 18 goals in the 2022/23 season, including three in the Champions League qualifiers. It was the Croat who scored the winning goal in the Champions League play-off second leg against PSV Eindhoven to send Rangers to the group stage for the first time since 2010.

Last season, while playing for Parma, he helped the team secure the Serie B championship, making 22 appearances and scoring three goals. In total, Čolak has accumulated 259 professional appearances, scoring 108 goals and providing 36 assists. In the Champions League qualifiers, he has an impressive record of eight goals in 13 matches and earned three caps for the Croatian national team.

At 30 years old, Antonio Čolak is ready to bring his experience and goal-scoring prowess to Spezia under the guidance of manager Luca Gotti as he prepares to wear the number 17 shirt.

Site Opinion

This is quite a coup for Spezia, who are eighth in the early Serie B table. They’re keen to push on towards the top flight, or at least improve significantly on last season’s 15th-placed finish, and grabbing Čolak will certainly help them. He’s a complete centre forward, known for his physical strength and goal-scoring instinct, and has plenty of European experience.

Serie B sides should definitely take note, as a player of his calibre should hit the ground running. This is a really good signing for the Aquilotti.