Into the Barça basketball record books for Nikola Kusturica as he has become the youngest ever to play for the first team. Aged 16 years, 4 months and 17 days old, the Serbian small forward made his competitive debut for the side, after coach Joan Peñarroya had already played him in the two preseason friendlies against Paris and Bàsquet Girona. His first official appearance came in the Morabanc Andorra v Barça game played on 17 September, when he went on to play 11 minutes in total from the second quarter onwards, including getting a basket from below the rim.

"I feel very good and happy to be with the first team this preseason. It is a really great experience. I want to thank Joan (Peñarroya) and the entire coaching team for their confidence in me. Now it's time to keep working" said Kusturica post-game.

The 2.02 metre tall small forward supplanted Èric Vila, who made his Barça debut aged 16 years, 6 months and 29 days old during a game at the Palau Blaugrana on 14 December 2014 against CAI Zaragoza, who himself had surpassed Jordi Soler (1998).

Third season at La Masia and sixth to debut under Peñarroya

This is the third season at La Masia for the Serbian small forward, who joined at under 15 level. He is now in the under 17s and so will also compete in the sub-22 Liga U. What's more, this summer he won and was named MVP at the U-16 EuroBasket.

Kusturica has also become the sixth player to debut for the first team under Peñarroya after Arturas Butajevas, Raul Villar, Sayon Keita, Mathieu Grujicic and Daniel González.

Força Barça