The decisions confirm violations of the World Athletics' Integrity Code of Conduct between May and July of 2021.

The pair are alleged to have conspired with long jumper Izmir Smajlaj in the falsification of a competition result that was submitted to World Athletics.

At the Dita E Kërcimeve competition held on May 8 2021 in the Albanian capital of Tirana, Smajlaj placed first with a national record and personal best distance of 8.16 metres.

The result contributed to the 2017 European Indoor Championships gold medallist securing a universality place to participate in the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Ruli was also Smajlaj's coach and travelled to Japan with him where he finished 17th overall with a score of 7.86m.

The trio submitted faked wind measurement readings for the competition, and when asked for proof of wind measurement equipment being used at the event they submitted a falsified photograph.

The photo shows Smajlaj standing at the long jump track in front of wind measuring equipment but all three ultimately admitted there was no such equipment used at the event and the photo was taken on a different day.

They were also unable to explain the basis for the wind measurement readings that were sent to World Athletics.

"These sanctions are very important for the future of the sport - athletics - and are a warning for those who govern athletics globally," said AIU chair David Howman.

"They carry a weighty significance, signalling the Athletics Integrity Unit is serious about prosecuting federation officials who breach integrity standards."

All three were charged with breaches of integrity standards in the code but the AIU disciplinary tribunal found that the charges against Smajlaj were not established as it "was not comfortably satisfied that he was knowingly involved in the conspiracy".

As a result, the 30-year-old's provisional suspension has been lifted. 

Dionisi was given a lesser period of ineligibility of four years, from December 9 2022 to December 8 2026, as he admitted and accepted all charges.

Ruli, however, contested the charges before the tribunal which ruled he was knowingly involved and had therefore acted in violation of the Code.

His period of ineligibility runs from April 6 2023 to April 5 2028.

Albania is among seven World Athletics member federations on the global governing body's competition manipulation watch list following the AIU's investigation of 17 reports of suspicious competition results during the qualification period for last year's Olympic Games.

Albanian sprinter Klodiana Shala was previously found guilty of committing an anti-doping offence at London 2012 by the International Olympic Committee.

She failed a drugs test for banned steroid stanozolol after the retesting of samples from the Games.