Igor Budan

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, Budan was then loaned to Parma F.C. with a co-ownership option (€1.25 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…

Budan was capped for the Croatian U-18 team at the 1998 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship (now U-19 event) and the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship (now FIFA U-20 World Cup). Budan also played in 1999 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship qualification. 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. Budan was selected for Croatia's Euro 2008 campaign, where he came on as a substitute in the second half against Austria. This would be Budan's final cap for Croatia.

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. 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. In July 2015 he was promoted as director of football, but on 17 November 2015, he relinquished his role as director of football for personal reasons.

Club

International