During the training match between FCSB and Beşiktaş, ended with the victory of the “black eagles”, score 2-1, Mihai Stoica, the president of the Board of Directors of the champion of the last two seasons in the Super League, appeared conversing with an unknown figure.
It is about Ernesto Applefield-Alvarez, a man with multiple connections in the world of football in Europe and Africa, who also brokers player transfers.
PHOTO. Ernesto Applefield-Alvarez, the man who was talking to MM Stoica during the FCSB – Beşiktaş friendly
Ernesto Applefield-Alvarez was born on May 23, 1997 in Paris. He grew up between France and the United States, where he attended Montverde Academy (SIMA), one of the private academies with an established sports profile in football. During the academic period, he also had university internships in the American environment, including Southern New Hampshire University, in the sports area.
This one also has a history on the turf. As a player, Applefield developed as a defender and signed his first contracts in Europe. He made appearances at FC Kitzbuhel, in Austria, at Paris FC, in France, later playing in Cyprus.
His football career was short and ended before he fully matured into the professional rankswithout notable performances or figures in higher competitions. Transfermarkt lists him as a “former footballer”, last registered in Austria.
After the end of the activity on the field, Applefield entered the operational area of football. He has completed vocational training programs in sports management, including the UEFA-IDHEAP module dedicated to club officials.
In France, he was involved in the structures of Valenciennes FC and Bergerac Perigord FC, covering segments such as sports organization, analysis and recruitment. At Bergerac he was sports director, at Valenciennes he held the role of deputy sports director.
In recent years, Applefield has worked on a multi-club project with activity in Europe and the Gulf area. In this area he was employed at United FC of the United Arab Emirates, a second-tier club, as “Executive Assistant of the Director”, a position covering duties of sporting and administrative coordination, recruitment, transfers and evaluation of player markets. Transfermarkt still lists him as United FC.
According to his professional profile and online descriptions, Applefield currently operates in the area of sports strategy, international scouting and executive operations in football, with a focus on emerging markets and aligning sports projects with investments and technology.
In recent public communication, there are also associations with digital products and technology platforms related to football, at the level of holdings or advice, such as FIFA Collect or Modex Technologies, where it has shares.
So, currently, Ernesto Applefield's occupation is in the area of executive management and strategy in football: sports planning, recruitment and development, multi-club management and the integration of technological components in the football industry.
