Peter Responds to Team Selection Leak: Focus Shifts to Tactical Security

Head coach Peter has slammed the leak of his team selection online, insisting that protecting his side’s tactical plans now outweighs the tradition of open training.

Speaking to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, Peter did not hide his irritation after details from a session were published almost immediately. "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 incident has forced a hard reset on how the club prepares. The coach stressed that the decision to close sessions is not about shutting supporters out, but about stopping sensitive information from leaving the training ground.

"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 leak row arrives at a delicate moment. ADO are about to walk out for their first Eredivisie home match in five years, a long-awaited afternoon that should have been all about celebration and noise rather than secrecy and suspicion.

Peter, though, is trying to park the off-field distraction and focus on Sunday’s football. He expects a high-tempo contest when FC Groningen arrive for matchday two of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season.

"I don't expect any surprises and I'm hoping for an open game played at high intensity by both teams," he said, looking ahead to a sold-out crowd that has been starved of top-flight action.

Team News

Team news offers a mixed picture. Jalen Hawkins remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, while Cameron Peupion is still a long-term absentee after knee surgery. Those absences strip some attacking depth from the squad and limit Peter’s options if the game turns into a physical battle.

There is at least a lift between the posts. Goalkeeper Niclas Thiede has returned to full training after an ankle injury and is in contention again, restoring experience and stability in a key position. Cagliari loanee Othniel Raterink is also edging closer to involvement and could make the bench as he builds match fitness, a potential late-game weapon if needed.

ADO need something to ignite their campaign. Their return to the Eredivisie began with a 2-0 defeat away to AZ, where second-half goals from Ro-Zangelo Daal and Calvin Stengs decided the contest and underlined the step up in quality.

Now comes a different kind of examination. Groningen arrive with momentum, having edged past FC Utrecht in their opener, and will see this as a chance to underline their early-season form against newly promoted opposition.

A sold-out home crowd, a team chasing its first points, and a coach determined to lock down his tactical secrets. The doors to training may be closed, but on Sunday the spotlight will be wide open on whether ADO can prove they truly belong back at this level.