Ex-Rangers hero ends up in Poland amid what might have been at Ibrox | OneFootball

Antonio Colak’s story remains one of football’s most frustrating collapses. The striker burned so brightly at Rangers yet finds himself a shadow of that player today. He had the highest scoring rate in European football during autumn 2022 and was even matching Erling Haaland. That period showed Rangers had a natural finisher who thrived under pressure. Colak was delivering in the league and in Europe with a clinical touch rarely seen at Ibrox, as even Ibrox Noise highlighted at the time. Sadly his departure became one of the most needless mistakes in recent years amid Antonio Colak’s post Rangers collapse.

From Ibrox glory to Italian despair

Since leaving Rangers Colak has seen his career spiral. He was moved to Italy against his will and dumped into Serie B. His time in Parma brought only four goals and a single assist. It was a desperately poor spell for a player who had lit up Glasgow just months earlier. The contrast could not have been more severe and Ibrox Noise made clear that Rangers were taking a huge gamble by letting him go. Rangers supporters will remember how he became the talisman in that Champions League run. His goals gave belief and his finishing gave fans hope. Yet Michael Beale forced him out and the club sold a striker in his prime.

An emergency call to Warsaw

Fast forward to 2025 and Colak has now moved to Legia Warsaw. The transfer itself was not planned as a long term strategy. Instead it happened because Legia needed an emergency replacement for an injured forward. That is a long way down from once matching Haaland’s scoring feats. Ibrox Noise recently covered his frustration and his fall since leaving Rangers. It is a reminder of how quickly football can punish careers when the wrong move occurs. Colak deserved far better after his exploits in blue. Fans in Govan will rightly look at this fall and shake their heads in disbelief.

What might have been

Colak’s numbers since leaving Rangers remain bleak. Antonio Colak’s post Rangers collapse is dire. Four goals and one assist across two seasons is not the return of an elite striker. It is also a damning reflection on Beale’s judgment when he chose to discard him. Supporters often discuss what might have been had Colak stayed in Glasgow. Would his form have continued and helped Rangers topple Celtic? We will never know. What we do know is Rangers lost a proven scorer and gained nothing in return. Rangers themselves confirmed his exit yet the regret has never left supporters. Colak now faces the fight of his life to revive a fading career. We can only hope Poland offers him the stability he lost after Ibrox.