 Gonzalez carried his form into the 2011–12 season, scoring nine goals in the opening 18 games of the campaign, including two in the 3–0 win against Besançon on 11 November.However, following the winter break, he began to be used more as a substitute, coming on in the last 15 minutes of matches, and he failed to score during the second half of the season as Niort finished as Championnat National runners-up behind Nîmes Olympique, thereby regaining their place in Ligue 2 after four seasons away.In the higher division, Gonzalez was used sparingly by manager Pascal Gastien during the first half of the campaign, making only three starts.