Franz Beckenbauer will not run for another term as executive committee member of football’s ruling body FIFA, the German football icon said on Thursday, citing personal reasons.

Beckenbauer, 65, said in a statement that he wants to spend more time with his family and travel less. He said he has informed FIFA president Joseph Blatter and other top officials of his move.

“I had and have a good time with my colleagues on the FIFA board, with UEFA and am on very friendly terms with Sepp Blatter and (UEFA president) Michel Platini. I ask for understanding for my decision.” The statement stressed that Beckenbauer’s decision “was made for personal and family reasons only.” Thursday’s announcement comes a year after Beckenbauer stepped down as Bayern Munich president. He said ahead of his 65th birthday on September 11 that he planned to “to significantly reduce my domestic and international involvement.” The election of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts will be his last major task at the powerful FIFA executive committee which has 24 members.

However, Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti are currently suspended over allegations they offered to sell their World Cup votes to undercover newspaper reporters. The FIFA ethics committee is to decide their fate at meetings next week.

Beckenbauer was elected into the FIFA executive in 2007 as representative of the European body UEFA. His term runs until 2011.

The UEFA congress will chose a new representative in Paris in June 2011. Beckenbauer succeeded Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder but the new man does not have to be a German.

Beckenbauer’s withdrawal leaves German football federation president Theo Zwanziger as the sole German representative in a major football committee, as UEFA executive committee member.