Javi Aznar will leave CN Sant Andreu after 12 seasons, bringing an end to the most successful period in the history of the club’s women’s water polo team.
The separation has been agreed between Aznar and the club following changes to the structure, budget and direction of Sant Andreu’s water polo project. His departure comes despite the coach having extended his contract until 2028 in November 2024.
Aznar’s final match in charge ended with a medal as Sant Andreu defeated Spanish rivals Mataro 11-9 to claim bronze at the 2026 Champions League Final Four in Malta.
It was a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary cycle. Sant Andreu have finished on the Champions League podium in each of the last three seasons, culminating in their historic first European title in 2025.
However, the team that reached the summit of European water polo is now expected to be largely dismantled.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, Aznar confirmed that “practically the whole team” would be leaving Sant Andreu this summer. Several leading players are expected to join domestic rivals, with Sabadell and Atletic-Barceloneta reported as potential destinations.
The departures are understood to follow a significant reduction in the resources available to the women’s programme. Aznar explained that Sant Andreu would no longer be able to maintain a squad containing 12 or 13 elite-level players, with the new budget reportedly capable of supporting only five or six.
That uncertainty produced a domino effect throughout the team. Players began considering their futures as it became increasingly clear that Sant Andreu would struggle to maintain the same level of domestic and European ambition.
For many of the squad, the decision also carries international consequences. Regularly competing for the biggest trophies is important not only for their club careers but also for their hopes of representing Spain at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Sant Andreu are not expected to close their women’s water polo section completely. Instead, the club intends to begin a new and less expensive project with different personnel.
The distinction is important: the women’s team will continue, but the Champions League-winning project built under Aznar is coming to an end.
Aznar had already seen his wider responsibilities reduced in recent months. Having previously held an overarching leadership role within Sant Andreu’s water polo structure, he was moved into a position focused solely on coaching the senior women’s team.
His eventual departure was therefore the result of a longer change in direction rather than a sudden decision following the Final Four.
The coach leaves behind a remarkable legacy.
Sant Andreu won their first Champions League title in 2025, defeating Sabadell in the final and becoming only the fourth Spanish women’s club to be crowned European champions.
During the final years of Aznar’s tenure, the club also won three consecutive Copa de la Reina titles, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup, while establishing itself as one of the strongest teams on the continent.
Their bronze medal in Malta ensured the era ended on the podium.
After the victory over Mataro, Aznar said the medal “tasted like gold”, reflecting both the team’s achievement and the emotions surrounding the end of the cycle.
The club’s official messaging has focused on celebrating a glorious period, while Spanish reports have highlighted the financial and structural reasons behind the break-up of the squad.
Both perspectives underline the scale of what is ending.
Sant Andreu entered the 2024 Final Four as ambitious challengers. One year later, they became champions of Europe. In 2026, despite the uncertainty surrounding the project, they returned to the podium and completed their third consecutive season among the continent’s best teams.
Aznar departs with the future of his next coaching position currently unclear.
What is certain is that he leaves Sant Andreu having transformed the club into European champions and created a team that will occupy a permanent place in Spanish water polo history.
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