Austria’s double star Oliver Marach is perhaps one of the few tennis players who don’t have much to do with football. But the 37-year-old Styrian, who has already won four tournaments this year with his partner Mate Pavic, has lived in Panama since 2007. Therefore he can give information about the World Cup newcomer Panama or the Central American country.
Marach has been married to the Panamanian Jessie since 4 July 2009 and is now the father of two daughters (Leah and Amelie). The native of Graz was not in the country on the day of the first World Cup qualification, but: “I know what happened when they qualified. All the people went out into the streets and screamed. There’s never been anything like it. Nobody worked there anymore, it was a party like you can imagine in Rio at the carnival.”
President Juan Carlos Valera declared Wednesday after qualifying for the national holiday. “The fact that they have qualified is madness, nobody would have thought it,” Marach stressed in an interview with the APA.
If you want to go into detail with him about football, however, Marach waves away. “I can’t say that out loud, but I’m sure I’m the worst tennis player in the world. I don’t even know many players by name, so I’m banana.”
Even from Sturm Graz he just knew that the club exists. “My wife knows more soccer players than I do. In Monte Carlo there was some famous football player on the course, and I was the only one who didn’t know who he was. Everyone made fun of me,” Marach said with a smile.
“Football is not my thing, the only thing I look at is Champions League and World Cup.” And of course he will keep his fingers crossed for his chosen home. In Pool G he will see duels against the strong nations England and Belgium as well as Tunisia, probably Panama’s only defeatable opponent.
Marach, on the other hand, is raving about Panama: “I really like it there. I’m an extreme water and sun person.” On weekends the Styrian often drives to his apartment on the beach, where he has all possibilities for sporting activities. “I’m also trying to get fit for other sports,” said Marach, who enjoys playing squash.
He met his wife in 2006 and has been living in Panama since 2007. However, he assures that he will never give up his Austrian citizenship. With around 3.5 million dollars in gross prize money, Marach has created a nice cushion for the future.
“Thank God my wife invested that money well. I started earning very well when I went to Panama. And that was very good for me from a tax point of view.” The big advantage: All income earned abroad does not have to be taxed at all in Panama. “If it is within the country, it is a maximum of about 20 percent,” Marach knows.
He has also invested a great deal in real estate with regard to his junior staff. “The property market in Panama is one of the best in the world, my wife takes care of everything the apartments are rented out.” However, life is currently changing: “Panama has become very expensive, if things continue like this, they will destroy the middle class”.
The attitude to life in Panama and his wife have had a lasting influence on Marach’s mentality. “My wife has changed me for the better. Living there has changed me a lot, so has my attitude. We’re just a bit of a murmur nation with the Germans. The Panamanians (sic!) are more familiar. Money is always important, but family has absolute priority. That’s not what we feel in Europe, it’s more the job or success that comes first.”