Incidentally, his best season in La Liga, 1995–96 – with five goals in 39 matches as the islanders qualified for the UEFA Cup[6]– came as Atlético reached an historical double;[7][4] previously, on 8 December 1993, he had scored his first UEFA Cup goal in the 2–1 home win for Tenerife against Juventus FC in the third round, lost 4–2 on aggregate.
[4] In summer 1996, Aguilera returned to his first team, remaining with them even after a 2000 relegation and again putting up strong numbers over two Segunda División campaigns, featuring in 78 games and scoring 14 goals.
[2] He returned to Atlético in directorial capacities six years later;[10] in October 2017, he was told his services as youth system coordinator were no longer required.
[11] Aguilera's form during his return to Atlético led to a selection for the Spain national team, his debut coming on 24 September 1997 in a 2–1 away victory over Slovakia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
[12] He was included in the squad for the final stages in France, starting against Paraguay (0–0)[13] and Bulgaria (6–1 win) in a group-stage elimination.