 However, "Ponfe" would be immediately relegated and, aged 36, he announced his professional retirement due to a recurrent knee injury, having appeared in 444 league matches both major levels combined and scored 114 goals.De Paula won eight caps for Spain at under-21 level, during slightly more than one year.His first arrived on 8 October 1996, when he started the 2–1 away victory over the Czech Republic for the 1998 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.