The 25-year-old, who now plays for Ligue 1 club Angers, joined
Serie B side Bari in 2016 before being loaned to Vicenza in
early 2017.
"It's known in Italy, but I didn't expect it," Doumbia told
French daily Le Parisien on Friday.
"I came from Paris, I did not know racism, except on television.
I had to hang on, fight to get a few minutes, whether it was at
Bari or Vicenza, where I was loaned out afterwards."
Doumbia told the newspaper how he had been discriminated against
in Vicenza.
"I felt it especially among the fans, but also in daily life,"
he said.
"I remember, in Vicenza, I was in a restaurant with a friend and
I was mistaken for someone who came to eat without paying. I had
to justify myself by saying that I was a soccer player and that
I could pay for my meal. In the long run, it was annoying."
Italian football has been plagued by racism.
Last month, prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations
of racist chanting by Lazio supporters directed at AC Milan
midfielders Tiemoue Bakayoko and Franck Kessie, while Juventus
issued an apology after their women's team account tweeted a
picture containing a racist gesture in August.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Jan Harvey)
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