Peter Closes Training Sessions to Protect Tactics

Head coach Peter has shut the gates. Literally.

Frustrated by a leak of team information from an open training session, the ADO boss has ordered sessions to be held behind closed doors, insisting that protecting his tactics has to come before tradition.

Speaking to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, Peter did not hide his irritation. "I don't know who it was, but in any case someone, or a few people, posted information online immediately," he said. "That makes keeping training sessions open completely pointless for us."

The leak was not a vague rumour drifting around message boards. Peter is convinced it went straight from the training pitch to the internet in real time.

"I have no idea if this happened last year as well, but this time I knew it was posted online straight away," he explained. "We want everyone to be able to come and watch training, but that information has to stay inside the complex. That didn't happen, so we have to close the doors."

The decision cuts against the club’s desire to stay accessible, yet Peter is clear: the competitive edge comes first.

First Eredivisie home game in five years

Once the anger over the leak is parked, the scale of Sunday’s occasion takes over. ADO host FC Groningen on matchday two of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season, their first top-flight home fixture in five years, and they will do it in front of a sold-out crowd.

The stage is big, the stakes already obvious. ADO are still searching for their first points of the campaign after a 2-0 defeat away to AZ on the opening weekend, when second-half goals from Ro-Zangelo Daal and Calvin Stengs decided the game.

Peter is not expecting any surprises from Groningen, but he is demanding a spectacle.

"I don't expect any surprises and I'm hoping for an open game played at high intensity by both teams," he said, underlining his desire for a front-foot response after the loss in Alkmaar.

Injury picture and selection options

On the team front, ADO must again cope without attacking option Jalen Hawkins, who is sidelined by a hamstring problem. Long-term absentee Cameron Peupion also remains out as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.

There is better news in goal. Niclas Thiede has returned to full training after an ankle injury and is back in contention, giving Peter a timely boost ahead of such a high-profile home date.

Othniel Raterink, on loan from Cagliari, is another name to watch. The forward is still building match fitness but could be used from the bench as ADO look for extra firepower against a Groningen side full of confidence.

Groningen bring momentum

If ADO arrive with questions to answer, Groningen travel south with momentum. They opened their campaign with a narrow but valuable win over FC Utrecht, a result that has immediately sharpened their belief.

A sold-out home crowd, a first Eredivisie match in The Hague in half a decade, and an opponent already up to speed: the backdrop is intense. Peter has shut the doors during the week to protect his plans; on Sunday afternoon, in front of a packed stadium, there will be nowhere to hide.