Aged 32, Taffarel returned to Europe and joined Galatasaray, winning six major trophies during his three-year stint, most notably two Süper Lig titles and the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup; in the final of the latter competition – a 4–1 penalty shootout victory over Arsenal following a 0–0 draw after 120 minutes – he was chosen as Man of the match. He closed out his career with former club Parma, joining the team in 2001; he mainly featured as a second-choice keeper behind Sébastien Frey during his second spell with the club, but started in both legs of the 2002 Coppa Italia Final, which saw Parma triumph over the newly crowned Serie A champions, Juventus. He retired in 2003, after one-and-a-half seasons with the club, at the age of 37, and after having refused an offer from Empoli: his car broke while he was going to sign the contract, which he later described as a "sign of God".