RIO DE JANEIRO: Humberto Mario Grondona, caught up in the World Cup tickets scandal, is the son of Julio Humberto Grondona, 82-year-old president of the Argentina football federation and senior vice-president of world governing body FIFA.

He is a specialist youth coach and last year steered ‘his own’ Argentina to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Under-17 Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Humberto has grown up accustomed to the pressure of being in the public eye and the singular family connection.

In an interview with international sports journalists’ association AIPS last year, he said: “I wake up with pressure, have lunch with pressure, live with pressure, have dinner and go to sleep with pressure.

“I have had pressure since birth; if not, I would have dedicated myself to do something else. I am very happy I chose this profession. I’m very proud of the father I have, he is the best as a father and as a football director.”

The father of four daughters, Humberto coached Mexican youth teams for four years before returning home.

KEIR RADNEDGE

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