ADO Den Haag Coach Peter Closes Training Sessions to Public

Head coach Peter has shut the doors.

After a week in which his team news appeared online almost as soon as it was decided, the ADO boss has moved to close training sessions to the public, putting tactical secrecy ahead of tradition.

Speaking to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, Peter did not hide his irritation at the leak. "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."

For years, open sessions have been part of the club’s culture. Fans drifting in, watching patterns of play, getting close to the players. That openness has now collided with the realities of top-flight football.

Peter spelled out why the change was unavoidable. "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 comes at a delicate moment. ADO are preparing for their first Eredivisie home match in five years, a landmark occasion that should be about celebration, noise and a sense of return. Instead, the build-up has been clouded by questions over trust inside and around the club.

First home game back, first points needed

Peter, though, is determined not to let the selection leak overshadow Sunday. A sold-out crowd will pack in as ADO welcome FC Groningen on matchday two of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season, chasing their first points since promotion.

The opener did not go to plan. ADO fell 2-0 to AZ, undone by second-half goals from Ro-Zangelo Daal and Calvin Stengs. The scoreline underlined the gap they still need to close, especially in the decisive moments after the break.

Now comes another stern examination. Groningen arrive with momentum after edging past FC Utrecht in their curtain-raiser, an early statement from a side that already looks sharp and confident.

Peter expects a demanding but honest contest. "I don't expect any surprises and I'm hoping for an open game played at high intensity by both teams," he said, leaning into the idea that his side will have to match Groningen stride for stride rather than spring a tactical ambush.

Injury picture and selection calls

The squad news offers a mixed picture.

• Jalen Hawkins remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, while Cameron Peupion is still a long-term absentee following knee surgery. Both miss a homecoming they would have circled on the calendar months ago.
• There is better news in goal. Niclas Thiede has returned to full training after an ankle injury and is back in the frame, a timely boost for a side that can ill afford uncertainty at the back against a confident Groningen attack.
• Cagliari loanee Othniel Raterink is another name to watch. Still building match fitness, he is expected to start on the bench but could be introduced as the game opens up, offering fresh legs and a different profile late on.

So the stage is set: a sold-out stadium, a returning Eredivisie club searching for its first points, and a coach who has decided that the price of openness is now too high.

If ADO find a way past Groningen, no one will complain that the doors stayed shut all week.