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.

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.

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.

On 7 February 2007, Budan made his international debut for Croatia in a 2–1 friendly win against Norway, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Boško Balaban.

[16] After his retirement, Budan returned to Palermo with his family and successively confirmed he was about to join the rosanero staff as a team manager starting from the 2013–14 season, accepting an offer from president Maurizio Zamparini who had already regularly stated this intention in the past.

[17] He left Palermo after one season to pursue a career as a director of football, accepting an offer to work as Guido Angelozzi's deputy at Serie B club Spezia.