Barbara Barend

About Barbara Barend

Barbara Barend dreamed for many years of a career as a top athlete. However, she chose a journalistic career. She presented the youth program Zappsport and the football discussion program Voetbal Inside. Together with her father, Frits Barend, she launched the sports glossy Helden. Additionally, she is available as a versatile speaker, presenter, or chairperson for various events.

Barbara Barend is sharp, analytical, and critical, which allows her to elevate the content of your event. She always manages to maintain her own style as a presenter, sports enthusiast, and television personality. She is intelligent, knows what she is talking about, and claims her own place in the male-dominated world of football.

Barbara Barend was considered an absolute sports talent in her youth. In 1990, she played for the Dutch girls’ national football team and became the district champion in tennis in Amsterdam. After completing her gymnasium, Barbara studied at the University of Texas in 1992. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1996. During her student years, she was the best tennis player at her university. After obtaining her degree, she returned to the Netherlands and began teaching tennis to the youth in Amsterdam. Barbara’s journalistic career began in 1994 when she was a freelance journalist for Webber Magazine in America. Upon returning to the Netherlands, she started writing columns and soon made the transition to television.

Barbara Barend has a passion for sports but is certainly also well-rounded. Analytical, sharp, and with bravado, she leads debates and panel discussions. Barbara Barend’s communication skills, combined with her knowledge of sports, business, and social issues, make her a suitable speaker for a wide range of events and gatherings. In addition to all these activities, she is also an active ambassador for the Johan Cruyff Foundation and a mother of two children.