Shape coexistence and mixing, isospin mixing, competition between neutron–proton and like-nucleon pairing correlations have been identified as the main characteristic features of nuclei near the N = Z line in the A ≃ 70 mass region. The self-consistent treatment of exotic phenomena dominated by their interplay represents a challenge for nuclear many-body models. Currently, the realistic description of tiny effects in this mass region aiming to test the fundamental interactions and symmetries, and the required theoretical predictions concerning the nuclear properties relevant for astrophysical scenarios, are still open problems.