Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso on Thursday for kissing her without consent after the 2023 Women's World Cup final.

Spain's High Court set a fine of over 10,000 ($10,434.00) for the crime, but acquitted Rubiales of a count of coercion. The former executive told Reuters he would appeal, saying: "I am going to keep fighting."

Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Rubiales in a case that marred the celebrations of Spain's first Women's World Cup title and sparked a debate about sexism in women's football and wider Spanish society.

Rubiales said Hermoso consented to the kiss, but she denied it.

Judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto said he believed Hermoso's testimony that she had not given any consent, thus finding Rubiales guilty of sexual assault. However, he said that while this was "always reproachable," this instance was of minor intensity as there was no violence or intimidation.

As it involved a kiss rather than a more serious action, Rubiales should be spared time in prison, Fernandez-Prieto said.

"The pecuniary penalty must be chosen, which is less serious than the custodial sentence," he said in his ruling.

Rubiales was cleared of the charge of coercion for trying to downplay the kiss on the lips of Hermoso during the awards ceremony after the final in Sydney.

Three other former Spanish federation members accused of coercion -- former women's team coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of the men's team Albert Luque and head of marketing Ruben Rivera -- were also cleared of the charge.

The ruling banned Rubiales from going within a 200-meter radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year. The fine was set at 20 per day over an 18-month period.

During the trial, Hermoso said the unsolicited kiss from her boss and the commotion that followed "tainted one of the happiest days of my life," while her teammates testified it left her overwhelmed, crying and exhausted in the following hours and days.

Hermoso's lawyer told Reuters it was up to his client to decide if "she wants to keep up the fight" after Rubiales avoided a prison sentence.

The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), which was a private prosecutor in the case, said the ruling was "a significant step forward in the defence of women's rights and in the fight for a sport free of abuse and inequality."

"When there is no consent there is assault and that is what the judge certifies in this sentence. The victim's word is honoured, as the law stipulates, and should not be questioned," Ana Redondo, Equality Minister in the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, wrote on X.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.