Ronald Lombaya

Club career

SV Straelen and COVID-19 cancellation (2019/20)

After two difficult years in the youth academy of FC Bayern Munich, Lombaya moved to SV Straelen in the summer of 2019 at the age of 18, making the transition to senior football. The club had previously been relegated from the Regionalliga West to the Oberliga Niederrhein and aimed for immediate promotion. Under coach Inka Grings, Lombaya made his competitive senior debut on 4 August 2019 in the first round of the Niederrheinpokal, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–1 defeat against Rather SV. His league debut followed on matchday 1 of the 2019/20 Oberliga Niederrhein season in a 2–0 home win against Cronenberger SC. He made another brief appearance on matchday 4 in a 6–1 away defeat against SC Velbert. Over the remainder of the season, Lombaya was included in the matchday squad several more times but remained largely without further appearances.

From February 2020 onward, Lombaya was sidelined due to knee problems. Shortly thereafter, play was initially interrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the season was prematurely ended in March. As a result, his first season in senior football ended around three months earlier than planned due to injury and the pandemic. At the time of the cancellation, SV Straelen was in first place in the table and was later declared champions, whereby the club returned to the Regionalliga West. Lombaya thus belonged to the promotion squad but made only two brief appearances in the Oberliga season.

1. FC Mönchengladbach and renewed COVID-19 cancellation (2020/21)

After around six months without team training as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lombaya moved to the Oberliga club 1. FC Mönchengladbach at the age of 19 at the end of July 2020. There, he immediately made the jump into the starting lineup. He made his league debut on matchday 3 in a 0–2 home defeat against Sportfreunde Niederwenigern. Up to matchday 10, he was in the starting eleven in all eight league matches under three different coaches and was mainly deployed in attacking and defensive midfield. On 24 September 2020, he provided his first assist in senior football in a 2–1 away win against FSV Duisburg on matchday 4. Three days later, he scored his first goal in senior football in a 2–1 home win against SC Velbert on matchday 5. Overall, he made eight Oberliga appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

After matchday 10, play in the 2020/21 Oberliga Niederrhein was once again interrupted at the end of October 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The season was not resumed and was cancelled and annulled without evaluation on 19 April 2021 by the Lower Rhine Football Association. After Lombaya had established himself as a regular player in senior football for the first time at 1. FC Mönchengladbach, play was once again interrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the season was ultimately ended without evaluation.

NK Rudar Velenje and premature contract termination due to COVID (2021/22)

For the 2021/22 season, Lombaya moved to the Slovenian Second League club NK Rudar Velenje. At the age of 20, he completed his first stint abroad and his first engagement in international professional football. He made his debut on matchday 2 in a 1–0 away win against NK Rogaška, as a second-half substitute. On matchday 7, he provided his first assist in professional football in a 4–1 home win against NK Drava Ptuj. In the further course of the first half of the season, he was predominantly used as a substitute and regularly belonged to the matchday squad. Overall, Lombaya was in the squad 12 times in the first half of the season, made eight league appearances, and provided one assist.

In the winter of 2021/22, Lombaya's contract was terminated prematurely. The background was the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of which numerous clubs reduced their squads or realigned their personnel. Rudar Velenje also parted ways with several foreign players in this context, whereby Lombaya's first station in international professional football ended prematurely.

First season without pandemic-related interruptions: Viktoria Arnoldsweiler and Kickers Emden (2022/23)

After the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) had gradually subsided and regular play had resumed, Lombaya began the first full season without pandemic-related interruptions since his move to senior football in 2019 with the move to the Oberliga club Viktoria Arnoldsweiler. He made nine league appearances in the first half of the season, five of them in the starting eleven. He scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 away win against FC Hennef 05 on matchday 5. On matchday 15, he provided an assist in a 3–2 home win against TuS Königsdorf. In addition, he made one appearance in the Middle Rhine Cup.

During the winter break of the 2022/23 season, he was signed by the Regionalliga club Kickers Emden, after Lombaya had been training with the club since the beginning of the year. The East Frisians strengthened themselves for the fight against relegation with the 21-year-old. Lombaya made his Regionalliga debut on matchday 21 under Stefan Emmerling in a 2–0 home win against SSV Jeddeloh II, when he was substituted on in the closing stages. By the end of the season, he made nine appearances in the Regionalliga Nord and was mainly deployed in both attacking and defensive midfield positions. Despite the reinforcements, Kickers Emden were relegated from the Regionalliga Nord at the end of the season.

Overall, Lombaya made 19 competitive appearances in the 2022/23 season, scored one goal and assisted another.

New beginning abroad: Spain and Gibraltar (2024–2026)

After he had remained without a club after the end of the 2022/23 season, Lombaya took part in a scouting project in Spain from January 2024 onward. He made competitive appearances there from the 2024/25 season for Villena CF, a club which offered selected players from various countries the opportunity to present themselves to scouts in test matches and league play. For Villena CF, who played in higher Spanish amateur football, he made his debut on matchday 1 of the 2024/25 season against CD Murada. Up to the winter break, he made 11 league appearances, was in the starting XI seven times, and scored his first goal for the club on matchday 2 in a 5–1 home win against Intercity B.

Through his performances, the Gibraltar Football League club Europa Point signed Lombaya for the second half of the season. In the second half of the season, he made five league appearances as well as one appearance in the cup and scored his first goal for Europa Point on matchday 20 in a 3–3 draw against Mons Calpe.

For the 2025/26 season, the Argentine Claudio Racino took over the coaching position. Under him, Lombaya developed into a regular player and assumed a central role in attacking play as a classic number ten and playmaker. He scored his first goal of the season on matchday 4 in a 2–2 draw against Lynx FC. On matchday 7, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 home win against FC College 1975. One of his strongest performances of the season came on matchday 8 in a 4–3 away win against Manchester 62, when he scored one goal and assisted two more. In the 3–4 match against FC College 1975 on matchday 18, he was also involved in both of his team's goals with one goal and one assist.

In the 2025/26 season, Lombaya made 18 of the 22 league appearances, was in the starting XI 17 times, scored three goals, and assisted eight goals. It marked his most successful season of his senior career to date. Europa Point finished the season in eighth place in the table. In one and a half years, Lombaya made a total of 22 competitive appearances for Europa Point, scored four goals, and assisted eight further goals, marking his first longer phase as a regular player in senior football.

Honours

FC Bayern Munich U17 Under 17 Bundesliga runner-up: 2018

SV Straelen Oberliga Niederrhein champions: 2020 Promotion to the Regionalliga West: 2020