Infantino continues to deny wrongdoing in TV deal

[April 14, 2016]  (Reuters) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino has again shrugged off any wrongdoing for signing a contract with two businessmen indicted in the United States, describing allegations in the Panama Papers documents as a "non-story".

Infantino, at the time an official with European soccer body UEFA, signed a contract with Argentine businessmen Hugo and Mariano Jinikis, owners of Cross Trading, for the South American broadcast rights to Europe's Champions League competition.

The pair were among several dozen soccer officials who were last year indicted in the United States as part of a huge corruption scandal which has swept the game and thrown FIFA into turmoil.

"I think UEFA has made it very clear. And I have made it very clear, that this whole situation is basically a non-story," Infantino told Fox Sports on Wednesday.

"Everything has been done completely transparently and properly."

Infantino denied any wrongdoing when the reports emerged in several media outlets last week as part of the leaked Panama Papers.

The Swiss attorney-general raided UEFA headquarters last week as part of an investigation into "ongoing criminal proceedings" and Infantino said in a statement he welcomed it.

Infantino also said he did not know whether FIFA still housed corrupt officials. He declined to take personal responsibility for rooting out illegal behavior.

"It's the responsibility of everyone," he said.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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