Scotland boss Steve Clarke believes UEFA slapping Rangers with a "little" stadium ban could help the club beat sectarianism.
The Ibrox side were last week ordered to close 3000 seats for Thursday's Europa League play off second leg against Legia Warsaw after it was ruled a section of fans engaged in bigoted chanting in an earlier tie against St Joseph's.
Clarke, while still Kilmarnock manager, was on the receiving end of sectarian abuse at Ibrox last season and later described the singing as "from the dark ages" in an emotional press conference.
The 55-year-old, who is set to name his Scotland squad for upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers on Tuesday, told BBC Scotland: "Rangers have reacted very well to it, they're trying their best as I'm sure the people at Celtic are.
"Everyone tries their best but maybe the little UEFA ban on 3000 people - it's only a small part of the stadium - maybe it will make some people think about what they're going to say in the future, hopefully."
Clarke retains hope the issue will soon be consigned to the history books with better education and the passage of time.
But he admits he can't understand why sectarianism is a crime on the street yet not treated as severely when it occurs inside a football stadium.
He added: "The sectarian singing, you don't need.
"If it happens in the street it's a crime, if it happens in a football stadium and there's so many people doing it then suddenly it's not a crime.
"That can't be right. It's something I feel strongly about and I spoke about it at the time.
"I'd love to think in the future and years to come, it won't be an issue in Scotland. And hopefully with education, with time, we can get better and it will become a thing of the past."
