Beckenbauer made the remarks at the informal meeting of European Union sport ministers, which began on Monday in the German city of Stuttgart to discuss sports and economics and anti-doping issues.

"We have to stick together otherwise the fundamental values of sport are in danger," Beckenbauer said at the beginning of the meeting.

"It is hard to say to stop the violence inside stadiums and then (players) start attacking each other on the field," he said.

Beckenbauer is to outline the German organization's concept for the successful FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2006.

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who opened the meeting under Germany's EU presidency, said: "Sport has a huge social impact and represents values. Together we want to strengthen the role of sport in Europe and resolutely fight threats such as violence and doping."

The agenda of the two-day meeting, which gathers sport ministers from 27 EU member states, includes subjects such as sport and economics, integration and sport, and combating doping.

The first day of the meeting started with a review of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.