Nationality: Croatian

DOB/Age: 7 August 1995 (31)

Previous Clubs: Istra 1961 (2012-2015), Pomorac Kostrena (loan – 2012-2013), NK Domžale (2015-2017), AS Trenčín (2017-2019), FC Nantes (loan – 2019), NK Osijek (2019-2023), Puskás Akadémia (loan – 2020-2021), Erzgebirge Aue (loan – 2021-2022), Debrecen (2023), Zalaegerszeg (2023-2024), Umm Salal (2024-2026)

An all-round centre-forward who can shoot with either foot and has the ability to bring teammates into play, the 1.90m Antonio will add further firepower to the Sailors’ frontline after arriving at the club in the off-season.

Antonio comes with a wealth of international experience, having built an extensive career across seven countries — Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Hungary, Germany and Qatar — and tested himself in a variety of competitive environments. His résumé includes appearances in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga, France’s Ligue 1 and the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.

At international level, Antonio has represented Croatia at both Under-19 and Under-20 level.

Notably, he scored eight goals in 19 UEFA Europa League qualifying appearances for three different clubs between 2016 and 2019. These included a remarkable four-goal haul across two legs against Dutch giants Feyenoord, which helped Slovak side AS Trenčín secure a shock 5-1 aggregate victory in the third qualifying round in August 2018.

Antonio subsequently earned a move to French top-flight side FC Nantes the following January, before joining Hungarian side Zalaegerszeg for the 2023/24 season, where he recorded 15 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances to finish as the league’s second-highest scorer.

Antonio spent the past two seasons in Qatar with Umm Salal SC, where he continued to demonstrate his goalscoring qualities by contributing 26 goals and nine assists across 53 appearances.