Early career Budan played for his native
NK Rijeka for two seasons before moving to Italy in 1999. At that time Serie A imposed non-EU quota per team that each team could be used in the field. Budan spent 2000–01 season with
Empoli as well as Swiss club
Bellinzona (in Italian speaking region of Switzerland) in order to free the quota for other players. Budan was one of the players transferred to
Palermo from
Venezia in 2002. The ex-owner of Venezia,
Maurizio Zamparini, had bought Palermo in July 2002.
Atalanta He spent two very good seasons between 2003 and 2005 with
Atalanta, where he was a regular. Atalanta excised the option to sign Budan in June 2004 but Palermo also excised the counter-option, however, the loan later extended. Atalanta signed Budan in
co-ownership deal in summer 2005 for €1 million. Along with
Adriano, they were part of the deal of
Stephen Makinwa.
Parma The co-ownership deal with Atalanta being terminated in June 2006 for €1 million, That season Palermo signed
Mark Bresciano (€2.5 million) and
Fábio Simplício (€4.6 million); Budan and
Maurizio Ciaramitaro were the possible alternative compensation other than cash in the deals to Parma. Parma excised the option in June 2007 and bought
Davide Matteini (50% for €900,00) and
Francesco Parravicini (€950,000 to Palermo and €950,000 to Fiorentina) Budan scored a lesser goal in
2007–08 Serie A but with a better goal per game, Palermo bought back Budan for €4.5 million from relegated Parma in June 2008. However, he was confirmed to the Palermo squad for the 2009–10 season, and he started the new season by coming on as a substitute in the first two league games, against Napoli and Fiorentina. In the third game of the 2009–10 season, Budan scored his first goal for Palermo, a late injury-time equalizer in a 1–1 home tie against
Bari. His new season with Palermo was then later stopped by another serious knee injury that kept him out of action for the remained of the tournament. On 31 August 2010, he was loaned out to newly promoted Serie A club
Cesena until the end of the season. He returned to Palermo by the end of the season and remained in Sicily due to the club failing to find a team for him. Initially kept off the first team squad, he was subsequently re-included due to an injury crisis and featured in a number of league games under head coach
Devis Mangia, and then gaining a starting lineup spot under new boss
Bortolo Mutti. His improved condition, together with the sale of
Mauricio Pinilla to
Cagliari, turned him into a starter and gave him the opportunity to play more continuously; he scored his first goal of the season on 22 January 2012, netting the 1–1 equalizer in a 5–3 home win against
Genoa, that was followed by him scoring both goals in a 2–0 victory against
Novara one week later. During 2011–12 season Budan also extended his contract with the club to 30 June 2015. In January 2013 he moved on loan to
Atalanta. After his loan expired, Budan confirmed his retirement in June 2013. ==International career==