Editing Telmo Zarra (section)

===Professional stage and early successes===
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Zarra debuted with Athletic Club on 29 September 1940, in a league match against [[Valencia CF]]. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, with Zarraonandía scoring both goals for his team (including his first league goal, scored 17 minutes into the game).

During the 1941–42 season Zarra temporarily left Athletic Bilbao to join the army. He was dispatched to [[Ceuta]], and played some friendly matches with the team there. Upon his return to [[Bilbao]], Zarra experienced one of the biggest disappointments of his career while playing in the final of the [[Copa del Rey]] against [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]. They had reached the end of normal time and neither team had managed to score. During extra time, Zarra had an opportunity to score against rival goalkeeper [[Luis Miró|Miró]], but he missed the shot; consequently, Barça won the match and Cup.

The [[1942–43 La Liga|1942–43]] campaign was one of the most important for both Zarra and Athletic Bilbao. Athletic reached the Copa del Rey final after having defeated [[Atlético Madrid]] and FC Valencia. There they met [[Real Madrid]] and this time, Zarra was able to redeem himself by scoring the only goal in [[1943 Copa del Generalísimo Final|the final]], winning the year's cup in addition to the league title.

Zarra's first serious injury occurred in the 1943–44 season in a match against Barcelona. He broke his [[clavicle]] and was unable to play for a while. Once recovered, Zarra was able to return to the pitch and celebrate with a Copa del Rey title, helping Athletic record a [[1944 Copa del Generalísimo Final|2–0 win]] over Valencia.

In the 1944–45 season, with Athletic again facing Valencia in the [[1945 Copa del Generalísimo Final|Copa del Rey final]], four minutes from time a Valencia player fell to the ground. Zarra made a move to trample the fallen player, as a joke, and he was sent off by the referee. This expulsion was the first and only he suffered throughout his career. Despite this, Athletic took the title that year thanks to a goal by [[Rafael Iriondo]] that made the score 3–2.

Zarra experienced the best moments of his career in the [[1944–45 La Liga|1944–45 season]]  with his first [[Pichichi Trophy]], marking 20 goals scored in 26 matches. He would go on to win this award on five other occasions (1946, 1947, 1950, 1951 and 1953).