NYON: Another FIFA veteran, Marios Lefkaritis of Cyprus, is to exit international soccer politics.

UEFA says the 70-year-old Lefkaritis has withdrawn as a candidate in an April 5 election to retain his seat on the European body's executive committee. UEFA gave no reason.

Lefkaritis informed UEFA members on the day his long-time FIFA colleague Issa Hayatou lost the presidency of African soccer.

Lefkaritis previously had not entered a separate April 5 election to remain as a UEFA delegate on FIFA's ruling committee.

The Cypriot official joined FIFA's top table in 2007, and was a finance committee member for much of that decade. He currently chairs UEFA's finance panel.

Without Lefkaritis, there are 12 candidates for eight seats on UEFA's executive committee at the election meeting in Helsinki.