Natxo González · Biography

Natxo González took charge of his first professional match on 16 August 2013 at Montilivi, where newly promoted Deportivo Alavés lost 1-0 to Girona on the opening day of the Spanish second division. By then the coach, born José Ignacio González Sáenz on 29 July 1966 in Vitoria, had spent many years in charge of teams in Spain’s non-professional tiers. His career has been built on promotions from the fourth and third divisions, with spells at Real Zaragoza, Deportivo de La Coruña, Tondela in Portugal and Bolívar in Bolivia.

Early years in Vitoria

He came through the youth ranks at CD Ariznabarra and played at youth level for Aurrerá de Vitoria. He was a midfielder. His playing career was short: he turned out for CD Alegría and stopped playing in 1986. He began coaching at Ariznabarra, the club where he had learned the game, and later moved into the Deportivo Alavés academy, where he led the under-19 A side and the reserve team. With Alavés B he won promotion to Segunda División B in 1999.

Reus and Sant Andreu: the first promotions

In 2004, after a year on the board of CF Reus Deportiu, he took over the first team. He won promotion to Segunda División B in 2004-05, but the following campaign ended in 17th place and relegation on the final matchday. Reus bounced back by winning Group V of the Tercera División in 2006-07. In June 2007 he joined UE Sant Andreu, also in the fourth tier, and took them up to Segunda B at the first attempt in 2007-08. The club won the Copa Catalunya in 2008 and topped Group III of Segunda B in 2009-10. He left in 2011, with the club in financial trouble.

Alavés and the step up

Alavés hired him on 14 June 2012, after almost a year out of work. In 2012-13 the Vitoria side won their group and finished as overall Segunda División B champions, earning promotion to the second division. He signed a new deal in June 2013 and made his debut at that level in Girona, but the team never got going and he was sacked on 3 December 2013 with Alavés second from bottom.

Reus, from the third tier to the second

He returned to Reus on 1 June 2014, with the club in Segunda B. The 2015-16 season was the high point of that spell: Reus reached the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, where they lost to Atlético Madrid, won Group III and beat Racing de Santander 4-0 on aggregate in the champions’ play-off. It was the first promotion to the second division in Reus’s history. He announced his departure on 7 June 2017.

Zaragoza and Deportivo

On 11 June 2017 he signed a two-year contract with Real Zaragoza. The team finished third in the second division and came close to reaching La Liga, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Numancia in the play-off semi-finals. He resigned on 11 June 2018. Four days later he was appointed by Deportivo de La Coruña, newly relegated from the top flight. His time at Riazor ended on 7 April 2019, after a 2-0 home defeat to Rayo Majadahonda.

Portugal, Bolivia and back in Spain

On 14 June 2019 he replaced Pepa at CD Tondela in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and secured survival on the closing matchday with a win away to Moreirense. He left the post in August 2020. That December he moved to Bolivia to coach Club Bolívar, who dismissed him in May 2021 after their exit from the Copa Sudamericana. Málaga appointed him on 27 January 2022 and let him go on 2 April, with one win in ten matches. In the Primera Federación he coached UD Logroñés from 22 November 2022 to 27 February 2023, and SD Amorebieta from 6 November 2024, succeeding Julen Guerrero; the Biscay club were relegated and his exit was confirmed in June 2025.

Return to Sant Andreu

On 4 June 2025 he went back to UE Sant Andreu, then in the Segunda Federación, with the brief of winning promotion. In April 2026 he suffered a heart attack, and that same week, on 19 April, the team beat Reus 2-1 at the Narcís Sala to clinch Group 3 and promotion to the Primera Federación, eleven years after the club last played in the third tier. He signed a new contract on 6 May 2026. The club dismissed him on 28 October 2026.