Starblaydia's international football hiatus

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Starblaydia's international football hiatus lasted a decade, and took place from immediately after World Cup 34 until the build-up to World Cup 38. It was caused by the immense war in Atlantian Oceania which Starblaydia was involved in, codenamed Operation Galactica.

When an assassination squad originating from The Lowland Clans infiltrated the Starblaydi island of Aquiliana and attempted to murder Starblaydia's leader, Lady Protector Viannor Starblayde, the reaction was for Starblaydia and her allies in the Strategic Alliance of Autocratic States to declare war on The Allied States of The Lowland Clans. In return, the Allied States' alliance, the Strategic Defense League, and others, declared war on Starblaydia and the largest regional conflict Atlantian Oceania had yet seen began.

To facilitate this war, the entire country was mobilised in support of its armed forces. National sports stars such as the patriotic Darijo Cravex were used in ad campaigns and Darijo himself - amongst other footballers, Ice Hockey players and others - signed up for the Armed Forces. Funding was withdrawn from the national football team and channelled into "funds of presently more importance". Even the 20th Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football - planned to kick off after World Cup 34 - was postponed for some twelve years, only returning after hostilities had ceased, tempers cooled, and relations, if only partly, restored. It was hosted by the Unified Capitalizt States, a nation who had not directly participated in the war, though had declared its support early on for the SDL.

Though Starblaydia, at its peak in the war, had conquered much of The Lowland Clans, the eventual outcome was for Starblaydia's armies to be thrown back and for Viannor's regime to crumble, being replaced by a fledgling democracy. This new government knew that sport, particularly football, had galvanised the nation for three-quarters of a century since World Cup 15. In fact, football had been used to fuse Starblaydia with Nemya and Aquiliana, when the two ex-nations were merged into Starblaydi territory.

As well as participating in AOCAF20, the Starblaydi Football Association began the Di Bradini Cup, an Under-21 tournament, in order to put Starblaydia's name back in the international picture, to re-introduce Starblaydi football to the world, and vice versa. The next stage in fully ending the hiatus was for Starblaydia to sign up for participation in World Cup 38 and also its corresponding Baptism of Fire, for which World Cup Committee deemed their inclusion acceptable. Some controversy arose around the fact a nation which had previously played in the World Cup - and won it twice, in fact - was entering the Baptism of Fire. Hhowever as the KPB ranking system had shown that as Starblaydia (and Spaam, too) were on equal terms with the other débutante teams, they were allowed entry.

Careers cut short

^ Denotes players who played after the hiatus, in AOCAF20
^^ Denotes players who later managed Starblaydi international sides

Careers delayed

^ Denotes players who appeared for the Under-21s by virtue of being 21 years old for the Inaugural Di Bradini Cup