Sant Andreu head coach Natxo González is recovering in intensive care after suffering a heart attack, the Catalan club confirmed on Thursday.
The 59-year-old Vitoria-Gasteiz native experienced the cardiac event Wednesday night and was admitted to a Barcelona hospital, where he remains in stable condition, according to an official statement from UE Sant Andreu.
The club emphasized its ongoing communication with González’s family and expressed full support for the experienced manager during this delicate moment.
“El vitoriano Natxo González se recupera en la UCI de un hospital de Barcelona de un infarto que sufrió el miércoles por la noche,” the club’s statement read, as reported by El Correo. “Según ha comunicado este jueves el Sant Andreu, club catalán de Segunda RFEF que dirige ahora el exentrenador del Deportivo Alavés, el técnico de 59 años se encuentra ‘estable’.”
Sant Andreu officials added that they are maintaining permanent contact with González’s relatives and have requested privacy whereas wishing him a full recovery.
“El Sant Andreu, que está en ‘contacto permanente con su familia’ expresó ‘todo su apoyo’ a González en este ‘momento tan delicado’ y le desea ‘una buena recuperación’ además de pedir ‘respeto por su privacidad’,” the club communicated.
The announcement included a social media post from the team’s official X account featuring a message of support: “Molta força, míster, estem amb tu! 💛❤️”
González, who celebrated his 59th birthday last July, has been Sant Andreu’s head coach since June 2025, overseeing the team in Spain’s Segunda RFEF – the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system.
His most notable achievement came during the 2012-13 season when he led Deportivo Alavés to promotion to Segunda División, ending the club’s four-year stint in Segunda División B. That accomplishment marked a significant milestone in his managerial career, which has included stints with several Spanish clubs as well as brief experiences abroad in Portugal and Bolivia.
According to his managerial timeline, González previously coached Reus Deportiu (two separate periods), Real Zaragoza, Deportivo La Coruña, Málaga CF, CD Amorebieta, and UD Logroñés before returning to Sant Andreu in 2025.
The club informed its players of González’s condition Thursday morning, with assistant coach Jaume Delgado – a former Alavés captain during González’s tenure there – set to take temporary charge of the team for their upcoming fixture against Reus Deportiu.
“Jaume Delgado, su segundo y uno de los capitanes del Alavés en la etapa de González en el conjunto albiazul, dirigirá al Sant Andreu el próximo fin de semana ante el Reus,” El Correo reported, confirming the interim arrangement.
This health scare adds to the challenges faced by the veteran manager, whose career has spanned nearly four decades in Spanish football, beginning with youth coaching roles at Ariznabarra and Alavés in the 1980s and 1990s before his first senior team opportunity with Reus in 2004.
González’s playing career was brief and limited to amateur level, ending at age 20 before he transitioned into coaching – a path that has seen him operate across multiple levels of the Spanish football pyramid and gain international experience in Europe and South America.
The football community has responded with messages of support for the respected coach, known for his promotional success with Alavés and his long-standing involvement in Catalan football through his earlier tenures with Sant Andreu (2007-2011) and Reus Deportiu.
As of Thursday evening, González remains under medical observation in the ICU, with the club pledging to provide updates on his condition while respecting the family’s require for privacy during his recovery.
The next confirmed checkpoint for Sant Andreu is their Segunda RFEF match against Reus Deportiu this weekend, to be managed by Jaume Delgado in González’s absence.
We wish Natxo González a speedy and complete recovery. Fans are encouraged to send positive messages through the club’s official channels while respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time.
