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- The Players Taking Silent Pay Cuts!
The Players Taking Silent Pay Cuts!
Your contract says one thing, but the currency markets decide what you actually get paid.
Chris Broadfoot
October 09, 2025
Welcome back to The Currency Playbook… your edge in the FX game.
Each edition breaks down the biggest currency moves, shares real client stories, and highlights simple strategies that help athletes, agents, and expats protect their money overseas.
Our mission is straightforward: keep you informed, prepared, and in control of your earnings — wherever the game takes you.
Inside This Week’s Edition:
➡️ Book a call
Lead Story: The Players Taking Silent Pay Cuts
Your contract says one thing… but the currency markets decide what you actually get paid.
This week, three currencies tell the story:
• 🇯🇵 Japanese Yen: down 3.55% this week, and 17% since April.
• 🇮🇳 Indian Rupee: down 15% against the GBP, AUD, and EUR since January.
• 🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar: down 2% this week, and 8% in six months.
Different countries. Different sports. Same problem! Athletes are taking silent pay cuts as global markets shift faster than your next match-day.
At SportsFX, we work with players across football, rugby, cricket, MMA, and more helping them secure forward contracts and protect their earnings from these unpredictable moves.
Protect your contract. Don’t let FX decide your pay.
Read the full article below:
Top 3 Movers in FX:
Currency | Move vs USD / Majors | What Pushed It |
|---|---|---|
EUR (Euro) | Fell to 1.1613, its lowest level in six weeks. | Political instability in France drove the Euro lower after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned. Markets fear fresh fiscal uncertainty as leadership reshuffles continue, pushing investors toward the USD. |
JPY (Japanese Yen) | Down 3.55% this week and 17% since April, touching 152 against the USD. | Japan’s political transition and expectations of new fiscal stimulus have weakened the Yen further. Traders are betting the Bank of Japan will delay any tightening — keeping pressure on the currency. |
NZD (New Zealand Dollar) | Dropped almost 2% this week, and 8% over the past six months. | The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut rates to support growth, prompting a sharp sell-off. Lower yields and softer risk sentiment continue to drag on the Kiwi. |
Overall Market Snapshot 📊
Asset | Recent Move | What’s Driving It |
|---|---|---|
S&P 500 (US Equities) | Up mid-single digits over recent weeks; pulled back slightly this week. | Markets are balancing optimism over future rate cuts with geopolitical risks (France, Japan) and US fiscal uncertainty (government funding / shutdown). |
Crypto (Bitcoin & Major Tokens) | Strong moves upward — Bitcoin especially pushing higher as safe-haven and speculative flows intensify. | With global risk picking up, investors are rotating into alternative stores of value. Weak USD and inflation fears are also amplifying interest in crypto. |
Gold | Surged to record highs — recently broke $4,000/oz, up ~11–12% in the past month and ~50+% YTD. | The classic haven bet: political instability (France, Japan), inflation worries, and expectations of weaker USD / Fed easing are pushing flows into gold. |
Oil (Crude / Energy) | Modest gains recently — ~1–1.5% bump after OPEC+ signalled only a small increase in supply. | The rally’s being supported by tight supply signals, geopolitical risk, and demand expectations, though global demand concerns (especially in China) are a counterweight. |
🏀 €25,000 Saved — When Every Basis Point Matters
When €450,000 moves across borders, every fraction of a percent matters.
A few weeks ago, we worked with a European athlete transferring his season’s earnings to the United States. On paper, the move looked simple, but by using his regular bank, he was unknowingly losing between 5–7% in conversion costs and fees.
That’s more than €25,000 gone before the money even arrived.
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The Problem
Behind most international transfers is a story just like this one.
“I’ve been sending money the same way for years. I thought my bank’s rate was standard.”
That assumption is what costs athletes, agents, and coaches real money. Banks and retail platforms rarely show the full cost — wide spreads, hidden fees, and poor timing can all erode the true value of your earnings.
By the time this player reached out, thousands had already been lost simply due to using the wrong provider.
⸻
The SportsFX Approach
We stepped in to review the process from start to finish.
Here’s how we changed the outcome:
✅ Reviewed timing – analysed recent market levels and identified short-term windows of opportunity.
✅ Used institutional partnerships – accessed sharper liquidity and better pricing than retail banks could offer.
✅ Structured the transfer – Completed it in one lump sum as rates were at a 4 year high.
This wasn’t about guessing where the market was heading. It was about building a plan that matched his real-world financial needs and minimised exposure to volatility.
⸻
The Result
By executing at a 4 year high, and outside of his bank, the player kept over €25,000 in his pocket instead of losing it to spreads and hidden fees.
That’s not a minor win — that’s a full month’s salary saved through better planning.
Each transfer was locked in at competitive institutional rates, giving him both clarity and confidence in where his earnings were going.
⸻
The Lesson
It’s not just about moving money. It’s about protecting contracts, protecting earnings, and giving athletes financial breathing space.
Every basis point matters when you’re transferring significant sums.
At SportsFX, we help athletes, agents, and associations take control of their currency exposure — so the market doesn’t decide what they get paid.
⸻
Protect Your Contract. Protect Your Earnings.
👉 Book a call with SportsFX Let’s make sure your next transfer lands where it should — not where the market takes it
From LinkedIn This Week
I’m active on LinkedIn every day, sharing market updates, case studies, and real client stories. Here are a few highlights from what I’ve been posting recently:
Know your numbers: Amount, currency in, currency out, and date needed.
Mark your levels: Yesterday’s high and low, last month’s range, and your minimum acceptable outcome.
Use structure: Secure a core percentage to lock certainty, then place limit orders for the balance at stretch targets.
Decide in advance: Pre-approve actions so you do not have to choose in the heat of the moment.
Review quarterly: Contracts evolve. Your hedge should too.
The markets don’t care how hard you’ve trained, how many minutes you’ve played, or how many goals you’ve scored, That’s why your contract needs a currency plan. Protect it before the next silent pay cut hits.
