By Andrew McKenzie

Hargreaves has never been sent off in his career

Bayern Munich's Owen Hargreaves has welcomed Uefa's hard-line approach to violent behaviour on the pitch.

Valencia's David Navarro was given a seven-month ban for breaking Inter Milan's Nicolas Burdisso nose in a Champions League tie.

Hargreaves, whose Munich side avoided Valencia in the quarter-finals, told BBC Sport: "There is no place for it.

"This is a sport that attracts so many people and brings so many together. Scenes like that really hurt football."

Navarro's ban applies to European games but Uefa is to ask world governing body Fifa to extend the ban to domestic and international football.

Inter players Burdisso, Maicon, Ivan Cordoba and Julio Cruz, along with Valencia's Carlos Marchena were also handed European bans, while both clubs were fined about �106,000.

The game at the Mestalla witnessed some of the ugliest scenes in European football.

Players from both sides clashed before Navarro, who was an unused substitute, ran onto the pitch and punched Burdisso in the face, before being chased from the field by Inter players.

I have never had a red card and I probably never will Owen Hargreaves Read this week's column

Hargreaves, whose side were kept apart from Valencia in the draw for the next two rounds of the competition, was shocked by the scenes.

He added: "I was watching Liverpool versus Barcelona and then they showed this mayhem.

"I don't understand how someone who is not even playing in the game can run on to a pitch and break someone's nose. I don't understand how a club can let a player come onto the pitch.

"You see them chasing each other and I thought what a disgrace.

"How on earth does a situation escalate to that level? It's a shame."