When George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, news of his murder was spread all around the world. The video of Derek Chauvin with his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds was one that no one who has seen even a piece of it will ever forget. Across the pond in Germany, players in the Bundesliga were starting to learn about the footage and the story.
The Bundesliga, at the time, was the only major soccer league that was back to playing after pausing for the coronavirus pandemic. And at Schalke 04, teammates alerted United States Men’s National Team midfielder Weston McKennie about the news, and he saw the video.