Pilato-Tarantino Case, Butini: “Great Disappointment-The Federation Will Not Stay Silent” (2025)

Italian National Team head coach Cesare Butini has spoken for the first time about the case involving Olympic swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino, who were stopped at Singapore airport last week over an alleged theft. The matter was later clarified without legal consequences, but it has drawn wide media attention in Italy.

In an interview with Italian La Repubblica, Butini did not mince words:

“Great disappointment for a behavior that does not help anyone and certainly damages the sport in general. In my role I will have the chance to speak with them. I will tell them they made a big stupidity. They are role models, even when they don’t wear the national uniform. What they did is very serious. Ending up on the front page for this, no thanks. The Federation already condemned the incident, even if the girls were not with the national team. With President Paolo Barelli we will evaluate the situation in the coming days and take decisions when we have more elements for a clearer picture. But in general this story must serve as a lesson for all of us.”

The Italian Swimming Federation (FIN) had already issued a statement clarifying that the incident occurred outside of federation activities, during a private vacation following the World Championships in Singapore. The federation emphasized that the situation was resolved with the support of the Italian Embassy, but also “stigmatized the incident” and reserved the right to evaluate the matter further.

Butini’s remarks confirm the federation’s stance that the case will not be minimized and that internal discussions will take place at the leadership level.

The incident has also proved difficult from a communication standpoint. While Benedetta Pilato quickly released a public statement on her Instagram account, expressing that she had fully cooperated with authorities and reaffirming her values of honesty and fair play, Chiara Tarantino has remained silent. She shut down her social media accounts and has been unreachable since.

Tarantino, who competes for the Fiamme Gialle (the sports group of Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, which is the organization’s police force enforcing financial and economic laws), may now also face consequences from her military sports club.

Next steps

On the federation’s side, the FIN Prosecutor’s Office is expected to open an internal investigation once activities resume. The inquiry will aim to reconstruct the facts and, if necessary, bring the case before the Federal Tribunal for possible disciplinary action.

Both Pilato and Tarantino competed at the recent World Championships in Singapore, after which they spent several days on vacation in Bali. They were stopped by Singapore airport authorities during their return trip. The matter was resolved within hours, but it remains under review by the federation and other relevant bodies.